Despite parents’ best efforts, children of divorce often feel a significant amount of stress during and immediately after the divorce process. Typically, when two parents divorce, one parent is the “main” caregiver that the child resides with the majority of the time and the other parent is granted specific parenting time, though this can be problematic for the child. In an effort to make this life transition easier for children, something called a “nesting” arrangement has been becoming more popular for families of divorce.

What Is a Nesting Arrangement?

In a nesting arrangement, both parents move out of the family home into separate living spaces. The children remain in the family home, and each parent comes and goes according to the parenting time schedule. Some parents share the separate living space as neither will be there at the same time, and some parents get different living spaces altogether. 

Benefits and Drawbacks of Nesting Arrangements

There are many things to consider when making the decision to partake in this arrangement, which some may regard as unconventional. Here are pros and cons of nesting arrangements:

Children whose parents are divorcing can have varied reactions to the news of the divorce. Depending on their age and maturity level, they may not understand what a divorce is let alone what it means. Some children react with feelings of guilt, thinking they are the cause of the divorce. Other children may fear that they will lose one or both parents because of the change. As the parent, it is your job to make sure that your child understands the situation so that they can have healthy reactions. Here are three tips you can use to help you tell your children about your divorce:

1. Tailor the Conversation to Your Child’s Level of Understanding

Younger children often do not understand the entire aspect of divorce. Most of the time, all they know is that mommy and daddy are no longer living together. When talking to younger children about your divorce, make sure you use words and concepts that they understand. Your conversation does not have to go into great detail, but it is important that you tell the truth. Older children will probably need a bit more explanation, however, you should avoid disclosing too much information so as to paint the other parent in a bad light.

2. Make Sure It Is the Right Time

It is usually recommended that all children be present when you decide to break the news -- the last thing you would want is for one child to hear the news from another. Also, do not tell your children too early that you are getting a divorce -- if divorce is not certain between you and your spouse, you should not alert your children about the issues.

Divorce is financially stressful in virtually all cases. Many American families rely on two incomes to make ends meet. When you divorce, your income is reduced to your income alone, which can mean big changes for your lifestyle. In addition to having your income reduced, your expenses also tend to increase. 

It is not impossible to achieve financial security after your divorce, but it can be difficult without taking the proper steps. Here are five ways you can take care of your finances after your Illinois divorce:

1. Take Inventory of Your Finances

When you are married, your finances become intertwined. The first thing you should do after your divorce is to take an inventory of your assets, liabilities, income and expenses. This will help you know where you stand when you move on to step two.

There are many ways you can go about getting divorced. There is divorce mediation, collaborative divorce, even a do-it-yourself divorce - but the most common process couples decide to go with when getting a divorce remains to be a litigated divorce. 

With a litigated divorce, both spouses hire lawyers to give them legal advice and help them hash out issues. While many litigated divorces do not always use a judge decide such issues, you must always appear in court to have your divorce finalized. 

Certain rules of etiquette should be followed in court. Try to avoid making these mistakes when you go to court during your divorce:

When you are married, that typically means that your finances are woven together, which makes things easier for you and your spouse to handle life’s expenses. This all changes once you decide to get a divorce. A divorce is not only the severing of your emotional relationship, but also your legal and financial relationship. 

Like most things in life, diving into a divorce with little to no preparation is never a good idea. You should have certain things prepared and in order before you begin your divorce. Here are four ways you can get your finances in order before you begin the divorce process:

1. Take Inventory of Your Assets and Make a List of Your Debts

The first thing you should do when preparing for divorce is to make a list of your assets and debts. Your assets should include things like any real estate that you own, your vehicles, money in savings and checking accounts, investment accounts, retirement savings, furniture and household items, collectibles and any other valuables you own. Your debts can be things like a mortgage, an auto loan, credit card bills or any personal loans.