Monthly Archives: December 2014

Relationship Development Revisited: More Divorce Risk Factors

No matter how much research is published, it is rather unlikely that a couple preparing for marriage will cancel their plans based on a compilation of marriage and divorce statistics. Researchers, however, are able to take larger numbers of marriages and analyze some of the demographic and social factors involved attempting to determine if trends or relationships exist between those factors and the success level of the marriage.

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Illinois Celebrates 100 Children Helped by Safe Haven Law

In a perfect world, the birth of a child would always be a joyous occasion. New parents would happily share the news with everyone they could as they welcomed the new addition to their family. However, in the real world, many expectant mothers find themselves alone, scared, and totally unprepared for raising a child. This is why in 2001, Illinois passed the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act and through its provisions, over 100 at-risk children have since been adopted into loving homes.

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Parenting Plans: A New Take on Custody Agreements

In a divorce situation, making arrangements for the custody and care of your children will be among the most difficult decisions to be made. Regardless of your feelings toward your ex-spouse, your children still deserve the best efforts of both parents in providing for them. For this reason, many divorced parents are recognizing the importance of a parenting plan that they have jointly negotiated rather than relying solely on a judge’s interpretation of the law.

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Fixed-Term Spousal Maintenance Will Soon Be an Option

In August of 2014, the Illinois legislature passed a bill, which Governor Pat Quinn signed into law, amending the current provisions regarding spousal maintenance. Sometimes known as alimony in other jurisdictions, spousal maintenance represents the support an individual may be required to provide to their ex-spouse following a divorce. The changes enacted this summer will go into effect on January 1, 2015, and are considered by many to have been long overdue.

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Invalidating a Prenuptial Agreement

The average age at which Americans marry for the first time continues to rise to record levels. This, combined with the increasing number of second and third marriages, means that couples are bringing more of their individual lives with them when they marry. Each spouse, on average, has had more time to pursue business interests and accumulate wealth, for example, than they may have had a generation or two ago. As such, prenuptial agreements are also becoming increasingly common, as individuals seek to protect specific assets or interests in the event the marriage fails.

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Adoption of a Stepchild in Illinois

Ending a committed relationship is always difficult, but when the relationship involves children, the emotions can be overwhelming. For parents, a breakup or divorce can feel like their world is crashing down around them. The excitement and happiness of a new relationship can be equally strong, and many divorced parents eventually decide to marry again. As the new family becomes accustomed to each other and their roles, the couple may elect to pursue a “related adoption” to grant legal parental rights to the step-parent.

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Custody and Visitation: Post-Divorce Holiday Planning

If you believe what you see in department stores, the holiday season has been in full swing for months. At this point, Ebenezer Scrooge himself could hardly deny that the holidays are now right around the corner. For divorced parents, it may be a season of unpredictable emotions as they find themselves trying to negotiate holiday plans and arrangements for their children. Stress, anger, and resentment may threaten to overshadow the happiness and joy of the holidays for those who are not prepared.

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Children of Divorce: A Family Approach to Discussing Divorce

Divorce can be a sensitive subject, especially when delivering such heartbreaking news to kids. While divorce means the dissolution of a marriage, when children are involved, positive guidance should be upheld by both parents. When parents work together, children of divorce have a much easier time adjusting.

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Discernment Counseling: Innovative Marriage Counseling Focuses on Couples Both Individually and Together

The idea of marriage counseling is often met with mixed feelings from people who have experienced it and people who are considering it as an option. With typical marriage counseling, the couple attends sessions together with a counselor in order to work through marital problems and other issues affecting the marriage.

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How Mediation Contributes to a Healthy Divorce

Research has shown that divorce is on the decline in the last few decades, but there were still 33,789 total divorces and annulments in Illinois in 2011, 2,310 which occurred in DuPage County. There are various emotions that arise during the course of divorce proceedings. Guilt, anger, and sadness are all overwhelming and can affect day-to-day life at any moment. How can one deal in a healthy way with the dissolution of a marriage?

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