Category: Divorce

Pets are not treated the same as children in divorce cases, but they are instead regarded as items of marital property subject to equitable property division rules in Illinois. Even though a person may view the family pet as a vital member of the family similar to a child, there are no laws that control custody of pets. People may be able to negotiate pet custody and visitation agreements or litigate the issue in court with custody lawyers.

Getting divorced means dividing your assets so that each partner can walk away from the marriage and get a fresh start on life. In Illinois, assets are divided equitably, not equally. This means that the courts will divide the assets based on what they feel is fair to both partners based on their financial situation and contributions to the marriage.

Modifications to an existing decree are possible if there have been substantial changes in circumstances. These changes can include job loss, significant financial loss or gain and medical issues. A modification must be made to an existing divorce degree to change the amount of spousal support.

A new study has found that, while the divorce rate remains historically high, it has steadily declined over the past two decades. The now famous “half of all marriages end in divorce,” remains technically true but it does not paint an accurate picture. In absolute numbers, between 4 and 5 million marriages occur every year and about 1.5 to 2 million ends in divorce. Technically, that is 50 percent but the Pew Research Center found that not all marriages divorce in equal rates.

No two marriages are the same, neither are the same two divorces. There are no guarantees whether a marriage will end with "'until death do us part," or "'until differences do separate us." However, there are some factors which can predispose marriages to become a divorce statistic.

Divorce can be emotionally and financially exhausting. Whether a divorce is amicable or contested, it is important to keep a close eye on an individual's finances. The closer the watch, the less likely it is that financial resources will be stretched and drained to the point of bankruptcy.

When both spouses agree to the terms and conditions surrounding child custody (now referred to as the allocation of parental responsibilities in Illinois), parenting time, the division of property, child support and spousal maintenance in the dissolution of a marriage it is referred to as an amicable divorce. An amicable divorce is almost always uncontested, and since the individuals who are involved in this type of divorce are able to negotiate the terms of their divorce settlement peacefully, a long, drawn out court experience is avoided. While the final terms of the divorce are still subject to the approval of the court, the final decree typically incorporates most, if not all, of the couple's wishes.

Marriage can be a difficult relationship, and divorce is often the only way out. Perhaps the best known statistic in existence today is that half of all marriages end in divorce. But this may no longer be the case. Due to a combination of marriage trends and social factors, divorce rates are at historically low levels. In fact, divorce rates today are comparable to those of nearly fifty years ago.

A recent court filing caught Mechelle Epps by surprise. Her husband of ten years, 44-year-old comedian Mike Epps, filed for divorce in late January. Mr. Epps maintains the couple split during the summer of 2015, while Mrs. Epps says they were together as recently as the beginning of 2016. The filing comes roughly six months after Mr. Epps was caught by his wife, flirting with another woman on the social media microblogging site, Twitter.

Effective January 1, 2016, there will be significant changes to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (IMDMA). The laws that govern marriage, divorce and child custody (parental responsibility) in the state have undergone a huge overhaul, and one notable change is an update to establishing grounds for divorce.