Vernon Hills Illinois Family Law Blog

When divorces happen in Illinois and around the country, chances are high that the female spouses started the process. One study concluded that wives initiated 80% of divorces. Another study that tracked 355 couples over a 16-year period collected information from both male and female spouses. Although men often had escalating anxiety about their relationships, they did not take action to dissolve their marriages nearly as often as women. The results of that study showed that the wives pursued divorce at twice the rate of husbands.

A third study from the American Sociological Association confirmed the findings of other studies. The data showed that 69% of the divorces resulted from female decisions. Among college-educated women, wives initiated their divorces close to 90% of the time.

When a divorce occurs, a couple might decide to sell a house and split any profits. However, there are also reasons a person in Illinois may wish to keep a home. One could feel attached to the property, or one could wish to live in the home with children.

Before seeking sole ownership, a couple might discuss deferring the sale of a property. This could allow any kids to keep living in the house and prevent disruptions in their lives. This may be an option if the party with primary custody does not have the means to buy the home outright.

Shared custody that grants both parents time to raise their children after a divorce has the potential to produce many psychological and emotional benefits. Parents going through the process of divorce in Illinois will need to work out a custody agreement and co-parenting plan. Although coming to terms might be difficult for splitting spouses, the benefits to the family after the divorce are worth the effort.

Children naturally feel upset when their parents split up. A co-parenting plan that allows the children to divide time between parental households helps to overcome fear and insecurity. As children learn that both parents have remained engaged and present in their lives, their sense of security returns. The sustained bond with both parents enabled by co-parenting could also promote prosocial behavior in children as they mature. Children lacking a bond with one parent face a greater risk of negative behavior.

The already complex process of divorce can be further complicated for people in Illinois if one of them loses a job. This can have implications for child and spousal support payments whether it is the lower- or the higher-earning spouse who loses a job.

In the former case, the higher-earning spouse might need to pay more in support until the lower-earning spouse finds a new job. In the latter case, the support-paying spouse may be permitted to pay less until they find a new job. However, there are a few caveats around this. If the person loses the job because of misconduct, the court may be less sympathetic. It might also raise suspicion if the support-paying spouse is laid off from a job with a family or friend's business since this could actually be an effort to avoid paying more in support. Another consideration may be whether or not there is a severance package.