How to Talk to Your Children About a Divorce

For many parents, divorce or separation is one of the hardest choices to make, even when the choice is made to benefit your family. Divorce can be an especially difficult process for children. Though a divorce may be a healthier situation for children in the long term, it can still be confusing and upsetting for children to learn their parents are getting divorced. Knowing how to break that news can be hard for parents. Parents likely have known a divorce was coming, while children may be completely unaware. Children will have unpredictable responses, and some may believe they were somehow

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What Are Marital Agreements and What Are Their Benefits?

An Illinois marital agreement can help an engaged or married couple protect their assets, discuss financial needs, and determine asset division. They include prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. These are legal agreements that many believe are used only by wealthy couples or individuals, but they can be helpful to anyone. These agreements can determine inheritance rights, protect certain assets in divorce, and prevent property from being divided by the court’s discretion. It’s useful to work with an attorney while creating any marital agreement to ensure it will be legally enforceable and that the rights of both parties are protected. Prenuptial and

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Importance of Estate Planning in Chicago

Crafting a comprehensive estate plan has several benefits: it can provide guidelines for your own care, it allows you to plan for your family’s future, and it safeguards your assets after your death. Your estate plan can be made to fit your goals for your assets and beneficiaries. It can also help you feel more confident about how things will be handled after your death. Documents in a Comprehensive Estate Plan The components of your estate plan may differ based on your unique needs. Generally, a complete estate plan includes the following documents: A Will: This lays out your wishes

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What Is Considered a Substantial Change in Circumstances for Modification?

The court orders in a finalized divorce set legal guidelines for spousal maintenance, child custody, and child support. Whether the ex-spouses went through court litigation or mediation, their separation agreements are court-enforced. However, these court orders are not immutable. Illinois courts recognize that life changes for every family and that court orders need to reflect those changes. If both parties agree to the modification, they can make that change. The only parts of a divorce order that cannot be modified are the division of assets and a waiver of spousal maintenance. Parties can change spousal maintenance, child custody, and parenting

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Seeking Safety from Domestic Violence in Chicago

Although many people do feel safe at home, abuse does occur within families and households. Domestic violence is a pervasive issue that affects thousands of families annually. To make matters worse, many people do not know their options for combating or escaping domestic violence situations. If you are in a situation where you do not feel safe in your own home, you likely have a domestic violence claim. There are several legal resources available to you to get out of your abusive situation and into a safe environment. In fact, the law is on your side as the victim of

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Parental Alienation: What It Is, How to Recognize It, and How to Address It

When parents separate or divorce, it can be difficult for everyone involved, especially the children. It is not uncommon for parents to experience disagreements and conflicts during this time. Still, when these conflicts turn into negative feelings or behaviors towards one parent, it is known as parental alienation. What Is Parental Alienation? Parental alienation is a term used to describe a situation in which a child is encouraged or coerced by one parent to reject, fear, or dislike the other parent, often without any legitimate reason. This behavior can manifest itself in a variety of ways, including: Making negative comments

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How Social Media Can Impact Your Divorce

Although many people understand that divorce is difficult, few have a complete picture of how complicated these negotiations can be. Factors that you have never considered can become contentious parts of the divorce process and even impact the outcome. Social media is one of these factors, and it can do a significant amount of damage to your case. It is critical to understand the potential impact that social media can have on your divorce process. You can then make more empowered decisions about your online presence as well as your divorce. A few minor changes made online can have a

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The Importance of Self-Care for Domestic Violence Survivors

Self-care is imperative for any survivor of domestic violence, and it should be a priority when striving to promote healing and well-being. Domestic violence can have long-lasting effects on a person’s mental, physical, and emotional health. Taking care of oneself can help mitigate these effects. The Impact of Domestic Violence on Mental and Emotional Health Domestic violence can take a profound toll on a person’s mental and emotional well-being. Trauma from abuse can lead to anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other mental health conditions. These effects can last long after a person has left an abusive relationship, making

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How Will a Gray Divorce Affect My Retirement?

The term gray divorce is somewhat new, but it describes something that’s fairly common among many Americans. A gray divorce is a separation of spouses that happens later in life, namely in an individual’s 60s or 70s. This somewhat playful term has marked a unique trend of divorce rates going down among younger demographics while increasing among people entering their golden years. Divorcing at any age has its own fair share of complications; however, anyone with several decades of a relationship behind them will have a much different kind of divorce than those with young children or even those in

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How to Talk to Your Partner About Wanting a Divorce

It can be challenging to approach the topic of divorce with your partner, especially if you are the one who is bringing it up for the first time. You may feel like you are betraying your partner by even thinking about leaving, or you may be worried about how they will react. However, it can be equally challenging to keep your feelings bottled up inside or advance in a marriage when you are unhappy. So here are a few professional tips on how to broach the topic with your partner in a way that is respectful and considerate of their

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