Mistakes to Avoid in an Illinois Divorce

 Posted on December 00,0000 in Divorce

Getting a divorce is a time-consuming, stressful and frustrating process. Not only are you legally separating yourself from your ex, but you are also emotionally cutting them out of your life - a divorce is a loss and it should be treated like one. There are many considerations you must make when you get a divorce and that are a lot of ways you can make mistakes, but an Illinois divorce attorney who has experience in successful divorce cases can help you make the right decisions for your family. From issues with finances to issues with your emotional wellbeing, here are five mistakes that you should avoid making during your divorce: Not Being Prepared and Informed The thing that is going to help you most during your divorce is being prepared with all of the information that you are going to need and being informed about your financial situation. Prior to beginning a divorce, make sure you have enough money set aside for legal fees, court costs and other costs you may incur. You should also have copies of all important financial documents and records including bank statements, pay stubs, tax returns, property deeds, vehicle titles and registrations, wills and trusts and any other pertinent information. Not Considering All of Your Options Many people think that their only option when it comes to divorce is the traditional divorce litigation. Now, there are many forms of alternative dispute resolution to choose from when you want to divorce, including mediation, collaborative law, and simplified dissolution. You should talk with an attorney to discuss all of your options before you choose one. Not Putting Your Children First With everything that you are thinking about and dealing with during a divorce, your children can be unintentionally put on the backburner. You should always have your children at the forefront of the decisions that you are making. Make sure you have a parenting plan created when you get a divorce so that you and your children know what will happen once the separation is final. Letting Your Emotions Take Over Though it may seem impossible, letting your emotions get the best of you during your divorce is not good for anyone. You may have feelings of anger, sadness, grief, and resentment boiling in your mind, but you cannot let those feelings fuel your decisions that will affect you for the rest of your life. Seeing a counselor or therapist can help you sort out these emotions during this troubling time. Not Hiring a Knowledgeable DuPage County Divorce Lawyer

One of your biggest mistakes can be not hiring competent legal representation. You should always have some sort of legal counsel with you when you are negotiating terms of your divorce settlement so that you can be informed about the decisions you are making and how they will impact you later. By hiring a well-versed Aurora divorce lawyer, you can be sure that all of your needs are being taken care of. The attorneys at the Law Office of Matthew M. Williams, P.C. will advocate for you and guide you every step of the way through your divorce. Call the office at 630-409-8184 to schedule an appointment.

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Ways to Financially Prepare for Divorce

 Posted on December 00,0000 in Divorce Finances

“I think we should get a divorce.” Whether those words came as a total and complete shock or it was only a matter of time until they were uttered, it is never easy to hear that your marriage is falling apart. Divorce is an emotionally draining process, but it can also put a strain on your finances. Luckily, you can alleviate some of that strain by making sure you are well prepared before you even begin the divorce process. Making sure your finances are in order before you begin can save you some stress and a headache or two in the long run. Gather Your Records

Your first step in preparing yourself and your finances for divorce is by gathering all of your financial records and making copies of them. You should make sure that you have copies of your:

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Tips for Introducing a New Partner to Children After a Divorce

 Posted on December 00,0000 in Divorce

Divorce is not an easy concept for many children to grasp. Even if they understand the basics of what a divorce means, many children still cling to the hope that their parents might get back together. Introducing your children to your new partner is a task that can be daunting and requires a certain level of prudence. Your children should be at the forefront of your concerns, so dating after your divorce should be as unobtrusive to your children as possible until both you and they are ready to open their minds and arms to a new way of life. Timing Is Everything If you introduce your new partner to your children before they have had time to mourn the dissipation of their family unit, results could be less-than-desirable. Some experts say it takes at least a year before children are comfortable with their new life and have settled into their new routine of having divorced parents. You should also give the new relationship time so that you can evaluate the potential of the relationship. When children have new people in their lives, they tend to get attached to them. If that person is suddenly not there anymore, they will have to go through the break up just like you. While there are no guarantees that any relationship is long term, you should be sure that your new partner understands your concerns that you have about introducing them to your children. Be Honest with Your Children Though this is an age-sensitive topic, you should be as honest as is appropriate with your children. You can tell younger children that your new partner is your new friend and that you would like him or her to become friends with each other. With older children or teenagers, they might be more curious as to the status of the relationship. If you feel comfortable doing so, you can tell teenagers that you are dating and that your new partner is your new boyfriend or girlfriend. Get Help From a DuPage County Divorce Attorney

For some people, dating after a divorce can be an exciting and fun time in their life. You are able to explore your feelings for other people and enjoy the freedom from your ex, but you should also take into consideration how new relationships will affect your children. Going through divorce can be tough on children, but with the help of an Aurora divorce lawyer, you can help your children avoid the stress of a divorce. Contact the Law Office of Matthew M. Williams, P.C. at 630-409-8184 to set up a consultation.

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Children and Divorce: How Different Age Groups React to Separation

 Posted on December 00,0000 in Divorce

There is no one answer for how children of any age will react to their parents’ divorce, but there are common reactions that have been observed in children of different age groups. These common reactions can give you things to look for in your children when you are going through a divorce and can help you plan how to deal with these reactions.

Infants (Ages 0 to 18 Months): At this time in their lives, the child knows only the love that their parents give them by holding them and spending time with them. A divorce can impact the amount of time that a parent spends with the child, which can have negative effects on the baby. Infants can sense a lot more tension in the home than you think they can. Possible reactions to the tension can be:

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Tips to Make Your Divorce as Painless as Possible

 Posted on December 00,0000 in Divorce

There is no way around it - getting a divorce will be difficult at times, stressful during the divorce proceedings and emotionally demanding during most of the process. A divorce is the legal separation of you and your spouse, but it goes much deeper than that - divorce is also the emotional separation of you and your spouse and the end of your relationship. It is only normal for you to go through a mourning period, but there are things that you can do to make your divorce go as smoothly as possible, ultimately saving you a lot of pain and distress.

1. Think of Your Divorce as a Business Transaction

Though it will be difficult, emotionally distancing yourself from your relationship will help you immensely. Marriage is just a legal contract that you entered into with your spouse - now you are getting out of that contract, which is the divorce. Try to treat the process like you would treat a severing of a business relationship - your heart will thank you.

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Modifying Parenting Plans for Parental and Child Relocation

 Posted on December 00,0000 in Child Custody

There could be many reasons why you would want to petition to move out of the area with your child after a divorce - you could be moving for your job, to be closer to family or maybe you just want a change of scenery. Whatever the reason is, as long as you have the majority of parenting time or equal parenting time allocated to you, you can petition to relocate with your child. Typically, relocating with your child requires a change in your existing parenting plan. Though the process to make the change in your parenting plan can be stressful and time-consuming, it is not impossible.

Steps You Must Take

In Illinois, there typically must be a significant change in circumstances before you can change your parenting plan.  A relocation constitutes a significant change. If you plan on relocating with your child, you are required to submit a written notice of relocation to your child’s other parent within 60 days of relocating. If you do not provide notice, the court can use that as a factor in considering whether or not the relocation is in good faith.

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Signs Your Spouse Might Be Hiding Assets from You

 Posted on December 00,0000 in Division of Property

It is extremely important to understand your financial situation, especially if you are getting a divorce. It is not uncommon for people to try to keep certain assets from their spouses when it comes to dividing them during a divorce. Unfortunately, nearly 15 million Americans reported that they have at least one bank account or credit card account that their live-in partner does not know about. Though you may think it is difficult to figure out if your spouse is hiding assets from you, it can become obvious if you know what you are looking for. Here are five signs that your spouse may be hiding something:

You Notice an Increase in Transactions on Your Bank Statements

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Children and the Effect of Divorce

 Posted on December 00,0000 in Children of divorce

Traditionally, divorce has been frowned upon, especially if a couple has children. It was thought that children were better off growing up in a family where their parents were married. But staying in an unhappy marriage can mean a life of misery for you and can actually be detrimental to your children. Though “staying together for the kids” was once seen as an act of decency, it is now seen as an act of ignorance because children pick up on familial tension far more than some adults realize. That tension can manifest itself in many different ways in children, none of them being favorable. Here are four ways staying in a bad marriage could affect your children:

Chronic Stress

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Benefits of Collaborative Divorce in Illinois

 Posted on December 00,0000 in Collaborative Law

When you think of divorce, you might think of litigation in a courtroom with a judge handing down decisions, or a couple in a lawyer’s office arguing with each other, voices raised, about who gets to keep the family home. While popular culture would lead you to believe this is how divorce is, in reality, it does not have to be that way. When you think of getting a divorce, you do not have to go the traditional litigated route - you have options. One of those options is to go with a collaborative divorce, or one in which you both work together to settle your disputes outside of the courtroom. This has turned out to be beneficial for many couples for many reasons. Here are a couple of reasons why you should consider going with a collaborative divorce:

The Process Can Be More Affordable

Because you are settling issues in various meetings, rather than in the courtroom, you are not having to pay court costs and fees every time you try to settle something. Rather, you can make it a point to come to a decision about certain things during each meeting, cutting down on the number of meetings you will actually need to have.

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Exploring Ways to Cope with Emotions During and After a Divorce

 Posted on December 00,0000 in Life After Divorce

Though you never planned for it, a divorce can be one of the biggest events in your life. You are changing your entire life when you divorce, from where you live to which bank account you use. A divorce is very much a legal process, but it is also more than that - it is an emotional process that you must go through as well. Emotional coping is very important when you are going through a divorce and is essential to your mental health once you have completed the legal aspect of divorce. Here are some ways to help you cope with the wild emotions that divorce can bring:

Allow Yourself to Grieve

Though divorce is a legal process, it is just as much an emotional one. It is only natural to grieve the loss of your relationship when you are going through a divorce, and to prevent yourself from grieving will only prolong the process. Allowing yourself to go through the stages of grief is a healthy coping mechanism that will enable you to move on with your life.

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