Posted on November 16, 2020 in Marital Agreements

The time leading up to your wedding can be a joyous and happy time, while simultaneously a stressful and overwhelming experience for many people. In the days and months leading up to your wedding, you likely have event planning things on your mind, such as picking out the color of the table linens or making a final determination for the guest list. What many people do not think about before they get married is the financial aspect of things. When you get married to another person, you are suddenly financially intertwined with that person and are subject to things such as property division and spousal support in the event you were to ever get divorced. One way to protect your financial health is by signing a prenuptial agreement before you tie the knot. Prenuptial agreements used to carry a negative social stigma, but more people have begun to see their benefits in the past several years.

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 Posted on November 12, 2020 in Press Releases

Weiss-Kunz & Oliver, LLC is pleased to announce that Amanda Oliver, one of the firm’s founding partners, has been recognized by her peers for her intelligence, passion, and success as an auspicious lawyer.

In the Fall of 2020, Chicago Law Bulletin recognized Amanda as one of 40 of the most promising Illinois lawyers.

The exclusive “40 Under 40” list identifies attorneys who are nominated by their peers for both outstanding legal work and giving back to the Illinois community. 

Even opposing counsel had kind words to say.

Marc Fisher, an attorney with Katz Goldstein & Warren who has been on the opposite end of cases with Amanda says that she is a pleasure to work with, kind, and committed to achieving the best outcome for her client. Recalling a contentious case involving children, Fisher praised Amanda for always having “the ability to reach a resolution, no matter how difficult the circumstances. She puts the clients’ interests first and advocates for their concerns, while always maintaining her highly professional composure."

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 Posted on October 23, 2020 in Divorce

Every couple has an argument every now and again. Maybe you did not put the dishes away like you said you were going to do, or maybe your spouse forgot to pack the kids’ lunches like they were supposed to. Little things like that can pop up from time to time, but when those little problems keep coming up more often and lead to bigger and bigger fights, it may be time to consider ending the marriage. Reactions to the idea of a divorce can vary depending on the person, but you should have a pretty good grasp of the kind of personality your spouse has and how they are likely to react. 

For some people who have been in troubled or unhappy marriages, getting a divorce can seem like a breath of fresh air. However, that is not to say that those getting a divorce have it easy. In many cases, these couples end up going through difficult, contested divorces that can put them at the mercy of the court system and each other. Any divorce can become complicated fairly easily, which is why hiring a professional is nearly always recommended. If you are dealing with a contested divorce, enlisting the help of an Illinois divorce lawyer who has experience dealing with contested and complex divorce cases could benefit you greatly.

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 Posted on October 08, 2020 in Divorce

Divorce is typically not something that most people want to think about. After all, many divorces do not end on a high note, and they can end up turning out to be one of the most stressful life events that people go through. Yet, divorces do take place, and life goes on, though several different aspects of a person’s life can be affected. Without proper preparation and guidance, a person’s social, emotional, financial, and mental health can be affected, along with their future well-being.

The fact of the matter is, there are things that you should and should not do when getting a divorce in Illinois. There are many mistakes that you can make during your divorce, but a knowledgeable Illinois divorce lawyer will be able to help you anticipate these errors and prevent them from being made. Here are a few common divorce mistakes you will want to avoid:

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 Posted on October 01, 2020 in Divorce

Everyone knows how much of an emotional and life-changing event a divorce can be. What many people do not realize is that getting a divorce can also have a major impact on your financial health too, both during and after the divorce. Many studies have been conducted and various groups of couples from many demographics and backgrounds have been observed to determine the differences in financial health before and after the divorce process. Though each divorce is going to be different because each couple’s situation is different, the general consensus is that divorce can majorly impact your finances and even lower your standard of living after everything is said and done.

Fortunately, this fact does not have to just be taken at face value. There are certain things that you can do to help protect your finances during your Illinois divorce, which will, in turn, help you protect your financial health after the divorce is over with and the decree is signed by the judge and both you and your spouse. Divorce can get complicated quickly, especially if there are complicated financial issues involved, which is why it is recommended that you hire an Illinois divorce lawyer to help you with the divorce process.

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 Posted on September 17, 2020 in Divorce

Breaking the news to your spouse that you want a divorce can be a very daunting and stressful task, but it is something that is unavoidable. You may wonder how the situation will play out, how the conversation will go or how your spouse will react. Will they break down and begin to cry in desperation or will they become angry and hurt, storming out of the house? Whatever their reaction to the news of your desire to separate, there is likely to be some level of resistance from your spouse. This resistance could vary from simply needing a little nudge in the right direction to downright refusing to cooperate at all.

Divorce is notorious for being an unpleasant, nasty, and heartbreaking experience for everyone involved. People can suffer from the stress of the divorce and children can end up bearing the brunt of the trauma. Multiple studies have come to the same conclusion that it is not divorce itself that causes lasting issues for children of divorce, but rather the exposure to their parents’ conflicts and arguments that cause emotional trauma. Fortunately, most people realize what is at stake when faced with the dilemma of divorce and are willing to somewhat cooperate for the sake of preserving the family. Even if your spouse seems argumentative or combative, they can usually be persuaded to agree to a collaborative divorce once they understand the benefits.

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 Posted on August 31, 2020 in Divorce

It is a bittersweet and painful situation to be in when you make the personal decision to end your marriage. Once you have made the decision that you no longer want to be married to or in a relationship with your significant other, it is likely that there have been issues present in your marriage for months or even years that were never resolved. Even just working up the courage to finally bring up or ask for a divorce can be a huge step for some people.

There is almost always going to be some degree of resistance from the other spouse when the topic of divorce is brought up; this is one of the real-life situations that Hollywood actually gets right most times. Think of all of the films and television shows you have seen that involve a breakup or a divorce. Do you ever remember seeing a scene where one spouse says, “I think we should get a divorce,” while the other one responds, “Yes, I agree with you,” in a level-headed manner? The chances of that are slim to none.

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 Posted on August 17, 2020 in Legal Questions

In most divorce cases today, the courts urge the couple to attempt to work together to come to an agreement on the issues pertaining to the divorce before they take the issues to trial. While there are many reasons for this, the biggest reason is that giving both parties negotiating power also means they are more likely to follow certain orders after the divorce is finalized. For many couples, no court intervention is needed because they are able to negotiate a divorce agreement with the help of their attorneys or a mediator. However, some cases have circumstances in which you may need the help of the court to complete your divorce.

One of those circumstances is the presence of domestic violence in the home. Domestic violence is one of the most complicated social and societal issues that exists throughout the United States. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, more than 12 million men and women experience some form of domestic violence each year. Most people think of domestic violence as simply being an act of violence, but for most perpetrators, it is more about holding power over the victim. Domestic violence is a serious issue and it can also have an extremely negative effect on your divorce.

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 Posted on July 31, 2020 in Division of Assets

Compared to many other countries in the world, the United States is fairly young, with rather unique founding principles. Though the U.S. is well known for certain freedoms such as gun ownership, the country also has a reputation for being a good place to live if you want to be a business owner. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, there were around 30.7 million small businesses owned and operated in the country in 2019.

Owning a small business can be extremely fulfilling, especially if it is a family-run business. However, owning a business can also pose some unique issues during a divorce. Your business is likely one of your biggest and most valuable assets, not to mention your biggest or perhaps even your only source of income. Needless to say, getting divorced when you own a business puts much more than just your business at risk.

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 Posted on July 17, 2020 in Divorce

In the grand scheme of things, social media has not been around for very long, but it has had a tremendous effect on our lives in the time that it has been present. In 1997, the first official social media website, SixDegrees, launched, changing the way humans interact with one another forever. Since then, thousands of social media websites and apps have been created to help people communicate and connect with one another.

Today, social media is a normal part of many lives across the globe. According to data compiled by Hootsuite, a social media marketing company, about 70 percent of the American population is active on social media. However, studies are continually taking place on the effects of social media on the relationships between people and how social media can affect mood, among other things. One of the areas researchers have particularly been interested in has been how social media affects marriage and divorce.

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