Parenting is never easy, even if you are still together with the other parent of your child. After divorce, especially, parenting can become even more difficult when you have to agree on when the children will spend time with each parent and how you and your ex will divide or share important decision-making responsibilities. This stress becomes compounded when you and your ex live far apart from one another. Creating a long-distance parenting plan can seem nearly impossible at times, but it is entirely possible to craft a plan that works for both you, your ex, and your children.

Plan for Frequent In-Person Visits

For some families, in-person visits can be difficult. However, you should try to place in-person visits at the top of your priorities. Your child deserves to be able to spend time with both you and your ex. Scheduling regular in-person visits, such as monthly or every other month, is crucial to allow your child to maintain a relationship with his or her other parent. You should also consider allowing your child to spend school vacations or breaks with your ex.

Coordinate Your Travel Details

One of the major stresses of long-distance parenting plans is how you handle the travel details. If you and your ex are so far apart that airplane travel is required, this can complicate things. In order to make the distance easier on everyone, you should coordinate with your ex as much as possible to make sure they understand all of the travel details when in-person visits take place, especially if you are transporting your child. You should share times, dates, methods of travel, and costs with your ex to prevent any misunderstandings.

Coronavirus, or COVID-19, is on everyone’s minds these days. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a global pandemic, and President Trump recently declared a national emergency as the spread of the virus continues to expand across the country. The virus is thought to have originated in China, but it quickly spread to Europe and the United States. At the time of this writing, more than 198,000 people have been infected in more than 80 countries. Here in Illinois, Governor J.B. Pritzker ordered all restaurants and bars to close except for carryout orders. In addition, Illinois schools are closed until further notice, and health officials are urging citizens to avoid gatherings of 50 or more people. Many people are working from home now, and in some cases, workers have been temporarily laid off. Those who have pressing legal matters may be wondering what effect the virus will have on divorce or family law court cases. Read on to learn more about coronavirus, its impact on the Illinois court system, and how Weiss-Kunz & Oliver, LLC can assist you during this difficult time in our nation’s history.

Signs and Symptoms of COVID-19

It is imperative that anyone who is exhibiting signs of coronavirus seeks medical attention as soon as possible. In order to avoid serious or life-threatening complications, as well as potentially spreading the virus through human contact, those who have been exposed are advised to self-quarantine for 14 days.

Domestic abuse can come in many forms — emotional, sexual, or even physical. Unfortunately, it is not an uncommon occurrence in the United States. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, more than 12 million men and women are victims of domestic abuse each year. It can be difficult to get out of an abusive relationship, especially when you are married to your abuser. Not only do you have to make the decision to leave your spouse, but you also have to go through the legal process of ending the relationship. This can be stressful for someone who is divorcing an abusive partner, especially if the type of abuse they are experiencing is verbal or emotional. Here are some things you should do if you are divorcing an abusive spouse:

Get an Order of Protection

Divorce is not an uncommon occurrence in the United States — hundreds of thousands of couples are divorced each year. In the past couple of decades, the number of older Americans getting divorced skyrocketed. These gray divorces, or divorces involving couples who are over the age of 50, saw the divorce rate doubled between 1990 and 2015. For those over the age of 65, the divorce rate tripled in the same time span. Despite the many reasons why a couple over the age of 50 would want to divorce, these types of divorces are often complicated and deal with issues that many other divorces do not have to deal with.

Spousal Support in a Gray Divorce

What do you think of when you think of a private investigator? You might think of a detective in a trench coat lurking in the shadows. While the image of private investigators in the eye of Hollywood is exaggerated, the actual job of a private investigator is exactly what it sounds like — to investigate. A private investigator might seem unnecessary during a divorce, but having a private investigator on your team can actually be beneficial. Here are a few ways a private investigator can be of use during your Illinois divorce:

• They can investigate a spouse who might be cheating. The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act states that decisions during the divorce will be made “without regard to marital misconduct.” This means the court cannot take into consideration the fact that a spouse committed adultery when it comes to issues such as asset division and child custody. However, a private investigator may be able to determine if a spouse dissipated or “wasted” marital assets on a lover. If it is found that your spouse dissipated assets, the court will adjust the division of assets accordingly.
• They can help alleviate child custody concerns. Your utmost priority during a divorce and in general is the wellbeing of your children. In some cases, you may be concerned about the safety of your children during your spouse’s parenting time. If you are concerned that your spouse is being reckless or endangering your children, a private investigator can help.
• They can help identify hidden assets. Another role a private investigator can play is by looking through your financial records and making sure everything looks correct. Before you divide your assets, you should hire a private investigator to determine if your spouse is hiding assets from you or not. A private investigator has the skills needed to notice errors on tax returns or bank statements that could suggest hidden assets.
• They can ensure your spouse does not have you under surveillance. If your spouse was controlling during your marriage, there is a good chance they could also be controlling during the divorce. Even if they were not controlling during the marriage, divorce can change some spouses, pushing them to spy on you. A private investigator has the tools and technology needed to discover if your spouse has been tracking your location or monitoring your electronic devices.

A DuPage County Divorce Attorney Can Guide You Through the Process