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Acceptance of Divorce Decreasing, Cohabitation Increasing
Over time, society’s opinions are constantly evolving. Some ideas that were controversial in previous generations may be less so today, while other commonly-held beliefs from decades ago are no longer quite so acceptable. Divorce is a good example. Prior to the 1970’s, divorce was largely viewed as a last resort, and carried a significant social stigma. Since then, public opinion has dramatically shifted, and divorce has become a more socially-acceptable solution for many couples. A new study, however, suggests that the pendulum has begun to swing the other direction regarding how most people view divorce, paired with a new view on the practice of unmarried cohabitation.
Direct Questioning
The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), a sub-agency of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has released a report that examined public attitudes regarding marriage, divorce, sex, and related subjects, and how they have changed over the last several decades. The survey was conducted at intervals between 2002 and 2013, and the sample size, while varied at each interval, always included at least 10,000 adult participants. Participants were presented with a number of statements and asked whether they agreed or disagreed with each statement, using a system that allowed them to “strongly agree,” “agree,” “disagree,” or “strongly disagree.”
Domestic Violence: Understanding an Emergency Order of Protection
Despite decades of public awareness campaigns, physical violence and other forms of domestic violence continue to plague millions of families throughout the state and around the country. While the state of Illinois no longer recognizes any “at-fault” grounds for divorce, domestic violence still remains a major consideration within family law, as allegations and proven behavior can directly impact a parent’s suitability for parental responsibilities and time with his or her children. Proceedings for allocating parental responsibilities and parenting time, however, may play out over the course of weeks and months, so what can a victimized person do in the meantime? In some situations, an emergency order of protection may be the appropriate first step.
Filing for an Emergency Order of Protection
Sometimes known as a restraining order, an emergency order of protection is a court-issued directive that limits or restricts the behavior of an alleged abuser. An abuser who violates an order of protection is subject criminal prosecution for the violation, in addition to any other illegal actions he or she commits in the process.
Inherited Property in Divorce Proceedings
Divorce is a complicated topic. There is virtually no limit to the types of issues that can arise, and each case is as unique as the individuals and families involved. Dividing property in divorce is often among the most difficult considerations with which a couple must contend, and while the laws regarding the process are seemingly straightforward, their practical application is often quite complicated. This can be especially true regarding inherited property, or assets received by either spouse following the death of friend or family member.
What Does the Law Say?
According to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, the marital estate—property that is subject to division in divorce—consists of all assets and debts acquired by either spouse subsequent to the marriage, with limited exceptions. Among the most prominent exceptions, however, is “property acquired by gift, legacy, or descent or property acquired in exchange for such property.” In other words, anything given to you as a gift or as inheritance is non-marital property, as are proceeds from the sale of gifted or inherited property. For example, if your uncle passed away and left you his home, you could still sell the home and keep the money as a non-marital asset.
How to Challenge Your Prenuptial Agreement
Prenuptial agreements are becoming increasingly common in today’s society, especially as remarriages and marriages between individuals with significant property holdings become more prevalent. When properly executed, a prenuptial agreement can be a very useful tool for alleviating contentiousness and disagreement in the event of a divorce. On the other hand, there may be situations in which the agreement you signed before your marriage may not actually be enforceable under the law.
Change Your Mind?
It is important to keep in mind that a prenuptial agreement is a contract with your soon-to-be spouse. Signing any contract has its consequences, and this situation is no different. Over time, you may come to regret the choices you made in drafting the terms of your agreement, but that does not usually make them any less enforceable. A court will not set your agreement aside just because you have changed your mind about your decisions. You signed the contract, and you must live with its provisions. However, there are some factors that could render your prenuptial agreement unenforceable.
Making a Cheating Spouse Pay in Divorce
If your marriage has been affected by a cheating partner, it is only natural to want some type of retribution. Some individuals will use their partner’s infidelity as a justification for their own adulterous acts—though most relationship experts advise against revenge cheating. Others, especially those who have decided to end their marriage, may believe that a financial penalty should be in order. While the law in Illinois does not allow the court to award extra money or property to the victim of a cheating spouse, there are some ways your unfaithful partner can be held at least partially responsible.
Infidelity Clauses in a Prenuptial Agreement
The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act expressly forbids a judge from taking marital misconduct—like cheating—into account when dividing marital property or determining spousal support in a divorce case. There is, however, nothing that says that you and your spouse cannot agree to penalties for infidelity in advance. An increasing number of prenuptial agreements around the country are being drafted with infidelity clauses that prescribe a monetary or property consequence for acts of unfaithfulness. For example, you could agree—voluntarily, of course—that if you cheat, you forfeit a certain percentage of the marital estate that would otherwise be allocated to you. As long as your agreement is reasonably fair, the court would be hesitant to supersede it.
Are You Struggling to Make Child Support Payments?
If you are a parent who has been ordered to pay child support, you probably realize the importance of your obligation. Regardless of how you may feel about your child’s other parent, you know that your child is depending on your help in providing for his or her most basic needs. But what happens when situations in your own life get in the way of meeting your responsibilities? Technically, you are still required to make your ordered payments, but there are some things you can to help improve your situation.
Basic Child Support Requirements
Under Illinois law, an order for child support is typically based on two factors: the supporting parent’s net income and the number of children requiring support. Net income is defined as any and all income for all sources minus certain allowable deductions for taxes, union dues, insurance premiums and other specific expenses. Your obligation for child support will generally be set as a percentage of your income, beginning with 20 percent for one child, up to 50 percent for six or more children. On a case-by-case basis, a court may order you to pay a higher or lower amount upon consideration your family’s specific circumstances and needs.
Your Parenting Plan Could Include the Right of First Refusal
While parenting after a divorce or a breakup of unmarried parents will nearly always be challenging, your child will benefit from determined cooperation between you and your former partner. While parents have long been permitted to develop their own agreements regarding child custody—as long as they promoted the best interests of the child—the law in Illinois was recently amended regarding child custody and parenting concerns. Today, divorced or unmarried parents are not only allowed to create a parenting plan, but they are fully expected by the court to do so. One element that must be considered in drafting a parenting plan is each parent’s right of first refusal and whether such rights are appropriate for a particular situation.
Extra Parenting Time
At some point, most parents will need someone to watch their children. This, as you might expect, may be frustrating at times for a parent whose time with his or her child is already limited due to a divorce. On the other hand, a parent in that situation may also be looking for additional ways to participate in the child’s life. Including the right of first refusal in your parenting plan could directly address both concerns.
Why the Divorce Rate Is Lower Than You Think
Everyone “knows” that half of all American marriages end in divorce, which means the divorce rate is probably right around 50 percent, right? Comparing U.S. Census Bureau’s numbers on marriages and divorces in a given year, this commonly-cited “fact” appears to be completely true. The reality is, however, that numbers without context can be extremely misleading, especially when you consider that marriages and divorces in the same year are not really related to one another.
A Look Behind Numbers
It makes sense when you think about it: couples who are getting married this year—with maybe a few exceptions for remarriage cases—are not the same couples who are getting divorced. The couple applying for a marriage license at the courthouse have very little to do with the couple down the hall filing a petition for dissolution. In fact, according to some research, the divorce rate of those marrying in the 1990s or later closer to one-third than to one-half.
Has Your Parenting Time Been Restricted?
There is little question about the difficulty of parenting after a divorce, separation, or break-up. If you have been allocated significantly less parenting time than your child’s other parent, maintaining a meaningful relationship with your child can be even more challenging. But what happens if the other parent convinces the court to restrict or limit your parenting time even further? An experienced family law attorney can help you understand what recourse you may have, and work with you in taking the steps to restore your parental rights.
Grounds for the Restriction of Parenting Time
The governing principle of Illinois family law regarding children and parenting responsibilities is always to serve the child’s best interests. In doing so, the court begins with the presumption that active participation by both parents is best for the child, and, therefore, will allocate parenting time to each parent based on the family’s circumstances. Your parenting time cannot be restricted unless the other parent can show, by a preponderance of the evidence, that your behavior or lifestyle seriously endangers your child. These dangers can be to child’s mental, moral, or physical health, as well as to his or her emotional development.
Calculating Your Spousal Maintenance Responsibility
If you are considering divorce, you may already be aware that spousal maintenance, or alimony, is not a guaranteed right for either spouse. Based on the circumstances of your marriage—and especially if you earn significantly more than your spouse, and he or she has been financially dependent on you—you may expect to be ordered to pay spousal support. You may even be quite willing to make maintenance payments as, even though you no longer wish to remain married, you do not need to see your soon-to-be ex-spouse suffer, particularly if the two of you have children together. While you may be expecting to pay alimony, it is often helpful to get an idea of just how much those payments will be and for how long.
Payment Amounts
Assuming the court agrees that spousal maintenance is needed based on the consideration of a number of factors, the law provides a method for calculating spousal support payments. The most common way is through a statutory formula intended to be used in the vast majority of cases in which the couple’s combined income is less than $250,000, and the paying spouse is not supporting children from a previous relationship or another former spouse. In such a case, the amount to be paid is found by taking 30 percent of the payor’s gross income and subtracting 20 percent of the recipient’s gross income. The amount paid as maintenance plus the recipient’s income may not exceed 40 percent of the couple’s combined income.
Ready to Get Started?
To schedule a free consultation with Aurora divorce attorney, Matthew M. Williams, call 630-409-8184 or fill out the form below.
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