Divorce can be difficult and stressful under the best of circumstances. Domestic violence–or even allegations of domestic violence–can trigger additional issues and challenges. If you are the victim of domestic violence, you may need a protective order before or at the same time you file for divorce, to secure temporary possession of your home and protect against any backlash the divorce petition may trigger. On … Continue reading Domestic Violence and Divorce in Illinois →

I recently wrote about the options for dividing, disposing of, or continuing to operate a business that was owned jointly by a divorcing couple. But, that’s just one of many scenarios that may arise when a business or interest in a business is at issue in a divorce case.  Here are the key questions in play when one spouse wholly or partially owns the business:  Is … Continue reading Dividing Assets When One Spouse Owns a Business →

Co-parenting under optimal circumstances requires prompt communication, incredible patience, and the flexibility to change a parenting arrangement with little, if any, notice. Some parents thrive with routines, while other parents adapt well to rapid changes. Rapid change for a child is called summer break, where the educational routines of the past nine months go out the proverbial window to be replaced by an active schedule … Continue reading CO-PARENTING IN SUMMER: HOW TO AVOID THE LEGAL SUMMERTIME BLUES →

Sharing parenting time can be a challenge, even when both parents live in the same town. Distance, of course, makes splitting time and exchanging children even more complicated. When the parents live in different states, there may be added legal issues and procedural requirements, as well.  Practical Issues in Interstate Custody Cases One obvious challenge in most interstate cases is the way travel time and … Continue reading Parenting Across State Lines →

Divorce is not an easy decision to make, especially when you have always believed that you were going to be married forever. However, what you didn’t count on when you promised to stay with your partner forever is that they would drastically change. Your spouse literally became the living form of Dr. Jekyll and Mr./Mrs. Hyde. To say that living with them has become unbearable … Continue reading How To Know When it’s Time to Divorce Your Narcissistic Spouse, By Dr. Natalie Jones, PsyD, LPCC →

In recognition of the World Narcissistic Abuse Awareness Day on June 1st. Life with a malignant narcissist is crippling.  These cads chip away at your self worth and confidence every day. Like a slow-growing cancer, you often don’t recognize the danger until it’s too late. They always blame you even when it’s not your fault. After being told daily that you are worthless (both directly … Continue reading Stare down the Serpent: A Guide for Divorcing a Narcissist →

For most, their home is the single most valuable asset of the marriage. But did you know that in Illinois, if one owns a house prior to marriage, it is considered his or her non-marital property? Upon divorce, the owning spouse takes back the entire asset (including all the equity accumulated during the marriage). Whether you are already married to somebody who owned a home … Continue reading Residential Roulette: Marital Claims to Non-Marital Real Estate →

Note that I have framed the title of this article in the negative: how to lose a custody case, rather than how to win one. Why is this? It is because there are no sure-fire ways to achieve a successful result in a child custody case. There are, however, ways you can assuredly lose one. Here are ten examples of how to “lose” a child … Continue reading 10 Ways to Lose a Child Custody Case →

After we stabilize the family through temporary agreements or court orders, we work to develop an action plan to move forward.  Child Custody Issues Before tackling the financial issues, we must first determine whether there are any contested issues involving the children. Courts require parents to try to develop a joint parenting plan. The parenting plan reflects the parenting arrangements to be implemented after the … Continue reading Show and Tell: Pulling Back the Curtain Part Two →