Items Often Overlooked in a Divorce Settlement

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Divorce

There are a million and one things that you need to cover in a divorce settlement. There is the house, child support, allocation of parenting responsibilities, splitting bank accounts, and determining spousal support. With so many things already on your mind, it is easy to forget about things that are smaller - but still just as important. These things may not be significant now, but they can affect you in the future. Debts or Other Financial Obligations Usually divorcing couples argue about who gets the money in the savings account and who gets to keep the house - nobody is arguing about who gets to repay debt. When you get divorced, you are not forgiven of your debt and you still have the responsibility to pay it back. Whether it be personal debt, credit cards, or a mortgage, you should outline who pays what so there is no confusion. Car Insurance If you have children, car insurance is something you will have to consider when they come of age to drive. Many insurance companies will increase your premiums automatically when your children reach the driving age, even if they are not actually driving your car. The sooner you can negotiate how those extra costs are divided, the better. College Costs for Your Children In Illinois, parents have the responsibility to help their children attend post-secondary education if they choose to. This means that the courts will require one or both parents to contribute to the child’s education if it is necessary. Portions of the parents' income or property could be used to cover costs such as college application fees, college entrance exams, books and supplies, living expenses and tuition. You can choose to outline your own college payment plans in a divorce settlement if you do not want the courts to decide for you. Collections and Memorabilia Things such as books, art, antiques, and coins can be just a hobby to you, but they can be worth a lot of money. Not only are they intrinsically valuable to you, they are also financially valuable, so it is important for you to decide what happens to them when you divorce. Get Help from a Kendall County Divorce Lawyer

There are many things that should be covered in a divorce settlement--too many things for you to remember on your own. If you are getting a divorce, you should contact a Naperville divorce attorney to help you keep everything straight. Rely on the Law Office of Matthew M. Williams, P.C. to help you come to a comprehensive and agreeable divorce settlement. Call the office at 630-409-8184 to set up a consultation.

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What to Do and Not Do During Divorce

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Divorce

One of the most complicated and confusing times of your life can be your divorce. Divorce can bring about a plethora of emotions such as anger, jealousy, resentment, sadness, and rage. These emotions are normal, but they can make you lose sight of what is really important when it comes to divorce. Here are some do’s and don’ts that you can follow during your divorce to help you keep your sights on what is important. These tips can help remind you of what you should focus on during your divorce.

Do:

• Stop arguing with your spouse. It is doing nothing positive for you or them and is only stressing you out more.
• Try to resolve things together. Your goal should try to keep things as amicable as possible between you and your spouse. It will save you a lot of time, money and stress in the long run.

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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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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:

• Nervousness around new people;

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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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Divorce Myths and the Realities Behind Them

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Divorce

When it comes to divorce, there can be a lot of confusion around how it works, the legalities of it and how it affects you in the long run. Some of this confusion can be attributed to the difference in laws between states, some can be contributed to the portrayal of divorce in movies and television, but much of the confusion surrounding divorce is because no two divorces are the same. Stories that you hear about other people and their divorces can be misleading because much like people, no two divorces are the same. Allowing yourself to be consumed by divorce myths can be detrimental to your divorce success. Here are four common divorce myths and the realities behind them.

If You Cheat, You Will Suffer in the Divorce

The notion that adulterers lose in a divorce is an antiquated one. While cheating brings about many types of issues and can be emotionally damaging, Illinois does not recognize cheating as grounds for making decisions about divorce-related matters. The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act states that one of the purposes of the Act was to “eliminate the consideration of marital misconduct in the adjudication of rights and duties incident to dissolution of marriage.”

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Signs of a Failing Marriage

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Divorce

It has often been said that marriages do not just break - they get weaker and weaker over time and eventually just fall apart. Issues can arise when one spouse begins to notice problems with the marriage, while the other spouse is blissfully unaware of the troubles. You have two choices when it comes to this - either mutually agree to work on your problems together or call it quits and get a divorce.

Making that decision can be one of the biggest decisions you will make in your life, which is why it is so stressful. Many times, the signs that your marriage is eroding away are not always obvious and can seem normal. Here are four signs that you should be looking for if you think it might be time for a divorce:

You (or They) Are Not Willing to Work on the Marriage

One of the major signs that you might be heading toward a divorce is when your or your spouse are not willing to work on the issues that you have. If it is just one person trying to fix the marriage, it is not going to work - the two of you are in it together so the two of you have to work it out or call it quits.

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Things You Should Know About Life After Divorce

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Divorce

No matter the situation, getting a divorce is a big life change. Even if you were only married for a couple of years, getting divorced changes almost everything about your life. Though you may feel that you are ready for a divorce (and you probably are) you may not exactly be prepared for what is to come. There are certain things that you do not expect to experience when you get divorced and there are things that may not have even crossed your mind before. Everyone has different circumstances when it comes to divorce and everyone will experience the divorce differently, but there are a few things you should know about life after divorce. Even if you are the one who initiated the divorce, you will probably still feel a sense of loss. Even though divorce is the legal process of separating yourself from your spouse, it is also very much an emotional process. Many people underestimate just how much of a transition a divorce really is. You are changing everything from your living situation to your financial situation - it is understandable for you to feel things like loss, sadness, grief, and disappointment. These are all emotions many people experience in their life after divorce. If you have children, you do not get to ignore your ex. Just because you are getting divorced does not mean that you get to part ways and never see your ex again, especially if you have children. You and your spouse will forever be linked by your children and that is something you must come to terms with. Even when your children are grown adults and no longer are under you or your spouse’s care, you will still have that link. Divorce might affect your children in ways that are apparent through their behaviors. There is no one way that divorce will affect your children. Just like adults, all children are different and all children will have different reactions to a divorce. Your kids will not always tell you that the divorce is bothering them or that they have certain feelings about the stress a divorce can bring. Sometimes, your children’s behaviors will be the telltale signs that the stress is getting to them.

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Life After Divorce

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Divorce

Unsurprisingly, for many people, divorce is very difficult. Not only are you ending your legal relationship with your spouse, but you are also ending a very deep romantic relationship. Many people having feelings of anger, despair, hopelessness or even depression after a divorce. One of the most important and healthiest things you can do after you have gotten a divorce is set your sights on all of the positive aspects of getting a divorce -- and yes, there are positives to this situation. Here are four things you can look forward to after a divorce:

You Have Free Time -- And It Is Yours

After a divorce, you will be single again -- and that means that you will have the schedule of a single person again. You can do whatever you want, whenever you want and you do not have to worry about upsetting or ignoring another person. You can start making time for activities that you like to do, without having to worry about the wants of another person.

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