Adopting an Older Child

When a couple makes the decision to adopt, it is both exciting and intimidating, especially if they elect to adopt an older child, as opposed to an infant. However, there are slightly different requirements to fulfill and more things to be aware of if adopting an older child, and it is important to be aware of what will be asked of you.

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Can I Ask for Pet Visitation?

Most of us know at least a few people who identify as “pet parents.” In fact, many of us are actually pet parents ourselves. The phrase “pet parents,” in this context, is more than a person or a couple who owns companion animals. Pet parents, in general, do not see the relationship as a master-pet dynamic, opting instead for more of a surrogate child situation—even for those pet parents who actually have children of their own as well. For the most part, being a pet parent is a more serious approach to pet ownership than many are willing undertake but there is nothing inherently wrong with it. But, what happens when pet parents get divorced? Could either party ask the court for visitation rights with their beloved four-legged companion?

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What You Should Know About Moving with Your Child

The greater Chicago metropolitan area is full of options and opportunities for the people who call the region home. With relatively little effort, you could find a new career path or a new home very quickly, allowing you to substantially improve your circumstances. Such opportunities are particularly valuable following a major life change including a divorce. If you have children, however, and are bound by the terms of a parenting plan or a custody order, there are some steps you may need to take before you go anywhere.

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Your Children May Benefit From Divorce

We are all familiar with the idea of an unhappily married couple “staying together for the kids.” If you know someone living such a reality, you may come away from interactions with that person or couple shaking your head wistfully, looking forward to the day when your friend can be happy again. If, however, this describes your own marriage, you should know that, in many cases, living with two parents in a bad relationship can actually be worse for your children than dealing with their parents’ divorce. It might be hard to believe, but, depending on your situation, you may need to consider divorcing “for the kids.”

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Divorce May Increase Heart Attacks in Women

Divorce has long been linked with a variety of health effects. Increased stress and anxiety, for example, are common during and immediately following the divorce process, which, in some cases, can evolve into full-blown depression. In other situations, a divorce offers an escape from a bad marriage, allowing a once-trapped spouse to experience a renewed sense of freedom and hope—resulting in overall better personal health. It turns out, however, that divorce could be affecting women differently than it does men, at least in terms of heart health. According to a recent study, women who were divorced had a higher risk of suffering from heart attacks than divorced men, who had to go through a second divorce before their heart attack risk increases.

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Talking to Your Child About Your Remarriage

As a divorced parent, you have probably had to work through a number of uncomfortable conversations with your child. You may have been the one to break the news of your divorce to him or her and, in the time since, you may have answered dozens—if not hundreds—of questions about the future. Now, as you consider getting remarried, you will need to address difficult topics with your child once again.

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Helping Your Children Through Divorce

It is no secret that a divorce can be an incredibly stressful time for families. While a couple may have to deal with the grief and sadness of a failed relationship—not to mention the challenges of the divorce process itself—those with children must also manage the transition into a new familial structure.

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Visitation Rights of Grandparents in Illinois

Depending on the family dynamics, grandparents may find themselves at the mercy of the parents of the grandchildren in question when it comes to the issue of visitation. Under Illinois law, grandparents have a limited right to request court-ordered visitation privileges with their grandchildren. State law also recognizes a parent’s fundamental right to the final decisions regarding how and where their children are raised and who may have access to them while they are minors. From a legal standpoint, however, the rights of both parents and grandparents are always viewed in tandem with what is in the best interest of the child. Situations do arise in which the best interest of the child may need to be decided by a family court.

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Important Steps in the Divorce Process

A quick glance at the raw numbers shows that for every two marriages in the state of Illinois in a given year, there is one divorce. While this may indicate that half of all marriages end in divorce, the numbers are a little misleading. The current likelihood of divorce for those who are get married this year is estimated to be between 30 and 40 percent.

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Exercising Your Right of First Refusal

When a couple who has children together decides to get divorced, they will need to develop a parenting plan. A parenting plan is a document which outlines each parent’s rights and responsibilities regarding the child and serves as the cornerstone on which the couple’s ongoing co-parenting relationships will be built. According to Illinois law there are more than a dozen considerations that must be addressed in a parenting plan including things like the child’s permanent address for the purposes of school enrollment and a parenting time schedule for each parent. There are other, optional elements that can be included in a parenting plan as well, including the right of first refusal. If your parenting plan provides you with the right of first refusal, it is important to understand what that means.

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