Most people get married with the hope and belief that they are going to live happily ever after. However, people and circumstances change, which can ultimately lead to the demise of a relationship. According to statistics, approximately 40 to 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce. When a couple has children together, this can further complicate the divorce process. Many decisions need to be made regarding the welfare of the kids. These include allocation of parental responsibilities, parenting time, and child support.

The thought of parenting on your own can be overwhelming, but there are ways to embrace this next chapter. It is also critical to hire a divorce attorney who knows Illinois laws that govern divorce issues in order to protect your rights.  

Moving on After Divorce 

Single parenting can be challenging to say the least. Starting over again after being married for many years is difficult regardless of the circumstances. This new transition can result in many different emotions, such as anger, relief, excitement, anxiety, and grief. Even if your divorce is amicable, you may be so used to making decisions as partners that you do not even know how to begin living life as a single person. Try to think of this time as an opportunity to explore, rediscover yourself, and redefine your relationship with your children.  

One of the main services of the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) in Illinois is to investigate cases of child abuse and neglect. It is important to understand a DCFS investigation is not a criminal investigation. However, DCFS and police personnel often work together to investigate the same claims. A thorough DCFS investigation must be conducted in order to provide credible evidence that a child was abused or neglected.

An indicated finding can have a significant and lasting impact on someone’s life, including limited parental responsibilities and/or restricted parenting time with children; job loss, and more. If a person has been indicated for abuse and/or neglect of a child, he or she is entitled to certain rights, including an appeal.

DCFS Appeals Process

There could be many reasons for a DCFS finding of child abuse and/or neglect. Some of these acts are intentional, but others can be unintentional accidents, or simply due to reckless behavior. Unfortunately, children can also lie about abuse allegations if another adult tells them to do so. If someone receives notice of a finding of child abuse and/or neglect, he or she has certain legal rights, including:

Wills are important legal documents which lay out your wishes for after you pass away. While everyone should have a will to make sure their wishes are carried out after death, many adults do not have one, which can cause legal issues. The most common elements to include in a last will and testament are your financial accounts, personal assets, property you may own, inheritances or plans for your children, investments, and assets related to your business. If no will is made, and an individual dies, the government often has to step in.

Wills and Estates Law

When a person dies and does not have a last will and testament, their estate goes to the members of their family through a procedure known as intestate succession. The government distributes the estate of the recently deceased to their spouse or any direct heirs. However, before that process occurs, financial debts must be settled.

When someone is the victim of domestic violence or domestic abuse, they can obtain an order of protection which provides them with safety. However, victims often struggle to achieve independence from their abusers, since their lives are closely linked both personally and financially. Illinois law was recently updated to address one issue that often arises in cases of domestic abuse: cell phone accounts.

Separating Cell Phone Plans

On January 1, 2018, a new Illinois law took effect that allows a person who obtains an order of protection to transfer their wireless telephone number to a new account. This allows victims to separate their cell phone service from a plan that was shared with their abuser, providing them with financial independence and ensuring that their abuser will not be able to access information such as text messages, voice mail, or location data. The law contains the following provisions:

When couples divorce in Illinois, they both have a right to equitable division of both physical possessions and financial assets. Couples are not necessarily guaranteed a 50-50 split of everything they own, but each spouse should receive a fair and equitable amount of the marital property.

However, some spouses, especially in cases of high net worth divorce, may attempt to conceal some of their assets in hopes that they will not have to share them.

Spouses may also hide assets because they blame the divorce on the other spouse and do not believe that they are entitled to certain marital property. Still, Illinois is a no-fault divorce state, and courts will not punish a spouse for causing the marriage to fail. Property should be divided equitably; the only exception may be if one spouse has dissipated marital property, in which case the division of remaining property will reflect this.