What Belleville Residents Need to Know Before They Assume an Uncontested Divorce Will Be Straightforward The phrase "no-fault divorce" has a reassuring ring to it. It suggests a process without blame, without conflict, and without the need to prove anything painful in open court. For many people considering divorce in Illinois, it creates the impression...
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Can Text Messages And Emails Be Used As Evidence In Family Court?
When digital conversations become courtroom evidence So much communication happens electronically, and in divorces and other family law disputes, those messages can contain valuable information. Text messages and emails can establish timelines of events, give the court insight into relationships, and help to prove key aspects of a divorce case. So, can they be used...
Read MoreDo I Have to Move Out During a Divorce?
In most cases, getting divorced means you and your spouse will ultimately no longer be living together. However, that doesn’t always answer the question of what to do right now. While your divorce is pending, do you have to leave the marital home, or can you continue living with your soon-to-be ex-spouse? The short answer...
Read MoreCan I Still Get Divorced if My Spouse Won’t Sign the Papers?
You’ve made the incredibly difficult decision to end your marriage. You’ve told your spouse, and they’ve responded by stonewalling you and refusing to cooperate. Are you stuck, or is there a path forward? The short answer is yes, you can get divorced even if your spouse refuses to sign the papers. No one can force...
Read MorePrenuptial Agreements Becoming More Popular Among Younger Couples
They’re not just for the rich and famous anymore. As The New Yorker recently reported, prenuptial agreements are becoming more popular among the youngest generations getting married: Millennials and Gen Z. Over 40 percent of married members of those generations say they have signed a prenup, according to The New Yorker. Here’s why. What is...
Read MoreWhat Happens if Child Support is Not Paid?
Illinois courts take failure to pay child support very seriously Child support can be one of the most contentious parts of a divorce with children, both during the divorce itself and afterward. If you are receiving child support, you need those funds in order to provide for the children’s needs and maintain their quality of...
Read MoreStudy: One-Third of Women “Happier Than Ever” After Midlife Divorce
In recent years, “grey divorce,” or divorce later in life, has been getting increasing attention. In part, that’s because of high-profile later-in-life divorces, including those of billionaires Bill and Melinda Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Mackenzie Scott. And in part, that’s because, as people are living longer and women have greater independence than ever before, the...
Read MoreHow Are College Costs Divided After Divorce in Illinois?
For divorced parents, figuring out who pays what can be a major source of stress With the rising cost of higher education, parents of teens are always concerned about how to pay for college for their children, and divorced parents are no exception. Divorce makes paying for all of a child’s expenses more complicated, but...
Read MoreCan You Relocate with a Child After Divorce in Illinois?
After a divorce with children, moving gets more complicated Life goes on after divorce. There are many reasons you might want to relocate: to pursue a job opportunity, to be closer to family, to find more affordable housing, and so on. However, if you have primary custody or the majority of parenting time with a...
Read MoreDivorce is Less Common, But Still Common Enough
If you’re navigating divorce, you’re not alone You’ve probably heard the statistic thrown around that 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce. But that statistic is actually a bit out of date; according to the Institute for Family Studies (IFS), divorce rates have been dropping since their peak in the 1970s, and today, “only”...
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