Posted on March 22, 2023 in Child Custody

In Illinois, a parenting plan is a legal document that outlines the rights and responsibilities of each parent after a divorce. However, as circumstances change, it may become necessary to modify the parenting plan to ensure that it continues to meet the children's and parents' needs. Today, we will discuss what situations may arise that call for modifying a parenting plan. For any matters related to changing your parenting plan or your divorce, feel free to contact a divorce attorney to ensure that you and your children's rights are protected throughout the process.

Signs Your Parenting Plan May Need to Be Revised

First, if one parent wants to relocate, this can significantly impact the parenting plan. Suppose the relocation makes it more difficult for the non-relocating parent to exercise their parenting time. In that case, a modification may be necessary to ensure that both parents continue to have a meaningful relationship with the children.

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 Posted on March 07, 2023 in Divorce

Bringing up the topic of divorce with your spouse is a challenging conversation to have. Emotions can run very high, and things can escalate quickly if one party starts making threats. Recently, we wrote a blog detailing how you can bring up the topic of divorce with your spouse. Today, we will discuss what you can do if you bring up the subject of divorce and your spouse begins threatening you. If you are considering divorce, contact an attorney who will defend your rights and ensure your best interests are always protected.

What to Do if Your Spouse Starts Making Threats

First and foremost, it is essential to remain cool, calm, and collected. Making threats during a divorce can have serious consequences, including legal ramifications. Threatening your spouse with harm, making financial threats, or threatening to withhold custody of children are all examples of behavior that could be considered abusive and illegal. If your spouse is making threats, it is important to document the behavior. Keep a record of any threatening text messages, emails, or voicemails. This documentation can be used later as evidence if the behavior continues or escalates.

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 Posted on February 28, 2023 in Divorce

Bringing up the idea of divorce to your spouse can be among the most daunting tasks imaginable. However, if you have decided to end your marriage, it is important to approach the conversation calmly and thoughtfully. Today, we will be discussing considerations to keep in mind when bringing up the topic of divorce with your spouse. Furthermore, it will be crucial for you to obtain experienced legal counsel for your divorce to help ensure your rights are protected and respected throughout the divorce process.

Tips on Bringing up the Topic of Divorce

The following are tips on bringing up the idea of divorce with your spouse. These tips include the following:

• Prepare yourself – Before you discuss divorce, it is important to prepare yourself mentally and emotionally. Take the time to consider your reasons for wanting a divorce and think about how you want to communicate those reasons to your spouse. It would be best if you also began considering the practical aspects of divorce, like custody arrangements, property division, and financial support.

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 Posted on February 24, 2023 in Divorce

Just like no two people are the same, no two divorces are the same. While most divorces are difficult for everyone involved, complex divorces, as the name implies, are usually especially complicated. A complex divorce is often a term used to describe a divorce case that may involve high-net-worth individuals, business owners, or couples with complicated assets and finances. These cases often require highly knowledgeable divorce attorneys, as they involve multiple issues and can be time-consuming and emotionally draining. Today, we will discuss what is most important about complex divorces.

Elements to Be Aware of in Complex Divorces

Several elements can make a divorce complex, including the following:

• High-value assets – In a complex divorce, the value of assets is usually high. These may include investment portfolios, real estate holdings, retirement accounts, and business assets. Therefore, properly identifying and valuing these assets is crucial to ensure that property division is fair and equitable. It may also be necessary to hire financial professionals to help determine the value of certain complex assets.

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 Posted on February 13, 2023 in Divorce

Divorce can be an emotionally grueling process, but as with many challenges life can throw our way, having a close-knit support system helps a great deal. When it comes to divorce, while the support of friends and family is undoubtedly essential, having a compassionate yet aggressive divorce attorney can make a significant difference in making the process less complicated and distressing.

Most people know having a knowledgeable divorce attorney is important when going through a divorce. But how can you tell when you have selected the right attorney, and what are some red flags to look out for as you go through the process of attorney selection?

Attorney Red Flags to Look Out For

Here are some red flags to look for when hiring a divorce attorney:

• Poor communication – One of the most important aspects of any attorney-client relationship is communication. If an attorney is difficult to reach, takes a long time to respond to messages, or fails to keep you updated on the status of your case, it may be a sign that they are not prioritizing your case.

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 Posted on January 30, 2023 in Child Custody

It is true that while a divorce is almost always difficult for the adults involved, it is often even more difficult for the children involved. Illinois courts believe that once a divorce has been finalized, it is in the best interests of the children to have both parents stay involved in their life. Having both parents involved in the lives of the children usually involves co-parenting between the recently divorced parents. As can be imagined, there can be serious complications that come with co-parenting.

In this blog, we will look at common issues that are associated with co-parenting and how to avoid such problems from arising. If you are seeking a divorce, consider consulting with an experienced divorce attorney to help you and your former spouse work together to ensure the divorce impacts your children's lives to the least extent possible.

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 Posted on January 16, 2023 in Divorce

Most people are aware of just how grueling and emotionally turbulent getting a divorce can be. The emotional turbulence of divorce is often exacerbated when a spouse refuses to obey the divorce decree. Divorce decrees often map out how many issues will be handled once the divorce is finalized, including the division of marital property, spousal maintenance, child support, and parenting time. If a spouse is not complying with the financial agreements made in the decree, this could prove to be detrimental to the other spouse.

Furthermore, if a spouse decides not to comply with parental responsibilities and parenting time, this can be harmful to the child's well-being. In any event, if your ex-spouse is not living up to their side of the divorce decree, contact an experienced divorce attorney who can help you get started with enforcing the divorce decree.

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 Posted on January 10, 2023 in Spousal Maintenance

Financial matters are often among the most contentious of all the issues that must be resolved during a divorce. Spousal maintenance is a crucial issue in the divorce process that can shape, for better or worse, the future financial lives of the divorcing parties. Spousal maintenance exists to protect someone who makes significantly less money than their spouse. It also exists so that the spouse who earns less can still have a similar standard of living that they enjoyed during their marriage while they become financially self-sufficient.

Generally, the amount of money and the duration of time for which payments will be made depends heavily on the economic circumstances of the divorcing parties and the length of time they were married. Judges may also order temporary maintenance to help people who require immediate financial assistance. If you are getting a divorce, it is wise to consult with a knowledgeable spousal support and maintenance attorney who will aggressively represent you and your best interests throughout the property division process.

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 Posted on December 26, 2022 in Divorce

A legal separation can be a practicable alternative to disputing spouses who may feel daunted by the permanency of divorce. Some aspects of a legal separation can be conceived as a trial run of a divorce since legally separated parents must adhere to agreements about spousal maintenance, shared benefits, and joint decision-making responsibilities for their children.

Sometimes the immediacy of divorce proceedings can be emotionally traumatic and overwhelming. In contrast, with a legal separation, the couple is provided a measured transition into a divorce which can curtail acrimony. A divorce attorney proficient in Illinois's legal separation laws can help explain a legal separation's advantages and disadvantages and draft a reasonable agreement.

Advantages of a Legal Separation

• A legal separation grants each party the time and space to decide whether to divorce or reconcile

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 Posted on December 20, 2022 in Child Custody

The relationship between a grandparent and a grandchild can be a loving, nurturing, enriching, and positive bond. For various reasons, sometimes one parent or both may restrict or sever the relationship between their child and the grandparent. This estrangement may be detrimental and have a lasting damaging effect on both the grandparent and grandchild. For instance, in the traumatic event of a parent's death, divorce, or incarceration, a grandparent can offer caregiving, stability, and even be a therapeutic source of healing for their grandchildren.

Unless it is proven that the parent is physically endangering the child, however, a grandparent's visitation rights are limited under Illinois law. Usually, only a parent can determine who can legally have visiting time with their child. A concerned grandparent seeking visitation rights should contact a child custody attorney who can evaluate their case and strategize for a possible harmonious solution.

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