Another Divorce Trend? Vatican Moves Closer To Accepting Divorce

 Posted on December 00,0000 in DuPage County divorce lawyer

There have recently been several events that indicate new divorce trends. For instance, in a move of particular significance for the millions of Catholics in Illinois, the Vatican recently announced that it was softening its stance on divorce.

After the recently completed synod on marriage and the family, the committee issued a statement that there are “positive aspects of. . .cohabitation.”  The language signals a clear break from traditional church teaching that unmarried couples were living in sin. While stopping well short of endorsing such relationships, the synod also made some similar conclusions about same-sex marriages. The report stated that many gays had “gifts and qualities” that could give these people a place in the Christian community.

Pope Francis has been more inclusive than some of his predecessors, much to the chagrin of many conservatives. Forty-one of the 200 bishops in attendance openly objected to the report, so the matter is far from settled.

New Divorce Trends in Illinois Law

Catholic leaders are not the only ones grappling with the changing nature of families around the world. Here at home, there have been several changes in both the way the laws are written and the way that divorce lawyers in DuPage County protect their clients.

A few months ago, the legislature made some changes to the state’s spousal maintenance law. These were the first major updates since the law was overhauled in 2011. While there is still quite a bit of discretion, the judge must also apply a set formula to determine the amount of maintenance in a given case.

Essentially, the reforms are designed to move the state away from the traditional income-equalization alimony payments, which assumed that the man had a much higher income than the woman, and towards a rehabilitative model. Advocates of this model claim that spousal support exists as a temporary measure that enables the recipient spouse to go back to school, pay attorneys’ fees, enroll the children in daycare and deal with other short term expenses.

That is not the only area of change. More and more divorcing couples are eschewing the litigation model in favor of collaborative law. Instead of the traditional husband versus wife, the parties work together to forge a sustainable settlement regarding property, children and other issues. Collaborative law is certainly not for everybody, but it can be a way of reducing the significant financial and emotional costs that are commonly associated with divorce. So, it is important that your attorney be fully equipped to offer both litigation and non-litigation solutions.

Your family is in transition, and it has unique needs. For a consultation with experienced  Aurora family law attorneys who take the time to understand your needs, contact the lawyers at Matthew M. Williams, P.C. today at 630-409-8184. We serve clients throughout the region.