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.

How Will Divorce Affect My Business?

What happens at home stays at home, right? Not necessarily. If you own a business and you file for divorce, there is a chance it could follow you back to your workplace. Happily married couples rarely think about what they are going to do in the event that they get a divorce, but when you are a business owner, this is one of the best things you could do. Getting a divorce when you own a business not only puts much stress on you and your spouse and adds to the divorce process, but it can also actually affect the business itself.

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.

Social Media as a Divorce Contributor

Social media is defined as any website or app that allows people to connect and communicate by sharing media, writing statuses, posting photos, sharing links, or communicating in another way. Popular social media apps include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Skype, Reddit, Pinterest, TikTok, and many more.

In the United States, divorce is not uncommon. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 22 percent of marriages dissolve before they celebrate their fifth anniversary and that number increases by the 20-year mark when an estimated 53 percent of all first marriages have ended. People get divorced for all kinds of reasons, but whatever the reason, the divorce is still likely to be riddled with tension, stress, and emotion.

Even if you and your spouse communicated well during your marriage, things will likely be much different during the divorce process. A peaceful divorce is possible, but effective communication is key to making that work. Here are a few tips to help you improve your communication with your spouse during your Illinois divorce:

• Determine what your boundaries are. First, you should set clear boundaries for communication. You and your spouse were once very close to one another and it can be easy for you to cross a boundary without even realizing it. Make it clear to yourself and to your spouse what those boundaries are, such as when you are available to talk and in what form (phone, text, email, etc.)
• Keep the children out of it. Since you have begun the divorce process, you have likely heard it a thousand times -- keep your children out of your affairs. If you have children, it is important that they know that you are getting a divorce, but they do not need to know every little detail of your divorce, nor do they need to be privy to any arguing or disagreements between you and your spouse.
• Consider hiring a mediator. In some cases, hiring a divorce mediator or other family specialist can help you effectively communicate with one another. The role of a mediator is to help keep you and your spouse on track when you have conversations, especially if you always seem to end up in an argument when you try to discuss something related to the divorce. A mediator can give you tools to guide yourself through your conversations.

Discuss Your Case With Our Elmhurst, IL Divorce Attorneys

Having good communication in a divorce is important if you are aiming to have a smooth and peaceful divorce. Without effective communication between you and your spouse, everyone’s tensions are higher, including your children's’ and other family members. At Weiss-Kunz & Oliver, LLC, we have experience dealing with many types of divorce cases, from extremely high-conflict cases to simple uncontested divorces. Contact our skilled DuPage County divorce lawyers today at 312-605-4041 for a consultation.

There are so many things that you and your spouse must figure out before you can actually settle your divorce. You must determine how you will divide your marital property, who will live where, whether or not either of you are entitled to spousal support and the list goes on. When you have children, that list is even longer because you must also determine how you and your spouse will share parenting time, how parental responsibilities will be allocated, how much child support will be paid each month and where the child will live. With all of that, finally signing on the dotted line of your divorce agreement can seem like finishing a marathon.

However, when you divorce a spouse that you have children with, you will never truly be completely divorced from them. In fact, some of the same issues that you had to settle during your divorce may pop up again if you or your spouse ever get remarried. An Illinois divorce lawyer can help you request a modification of your divorce agreement in case either you or your ex get remarried.

Remarriage and Spousal Maintenance

The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (IMDMA) states that any obligation to pay maintenance is terminated when the spouse receiving the maintenance remarries or cohabits with another person on a permanent, conjugal basis. The person receiving the maintenance also has a duty to notify the paying party before he or she gets married, as the maintenance payments end the day the cohabitation begins.

For the past couple of decades, the composition of the American family has been changing. Years ago, the “ideal” family was seen as a mother and a father, happily married with two biological children, a boy and a girl, and the family dog. Now, there is more diversity within American households than ever. Many children live in households without one of their biological parents or with their grandparents, without either parent at all. Many families have now also opened their arms and adopted children from many backgrounds.

One of the most popular ways people adopt in Illinois is through the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS.) These types of adoptions occur to children who are currently in the foster system in Illinois and often have unique situations. If you are looking to adopt a child from the foster system, an Illinois adoption lawyer can guide you through the process.

Children Come From a Variety of Backgrounds

Children who are in the custody of DCFS are in the foster care system. According to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System, there were more than 125,000 children in U.S. foster care systems waiting to be adopted in 2018. The most important thing to realize before you make the decision to adopt a child who is in the foster care system is that these children often come with their own baggage. Children who are in the foster care system and were removed from their homes because their environment was not safe. These children often have suffered from neglect, physical violence, a parent’s drug abuse or even sexual abuse.