Multi-State Divorce & Family Law Blog by Stange Law Firm, PC

Is filing for divorce your New Year’s resolution? On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Divorce on Tuesday, December 22, 2015. As 2015 draws to a close, many people have made their New Year’s resolutions for 2016. While resolutions related to eating healthier and losing weight probably top the lists of the majority of Americans, filing for divorce may be on the lists of many others. Divorce attorneys throughout the U.S. report being busier in January that in any other month during the year. For those unhappily wed individuals who struggled to make it through one more holiday

Why it can be dangerous to mix divorce and social media On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Divorce on Tuesday, December 15, 2015. Anger, fear, resentment, relief and vulnerability are all emotions that are commonly experienced by individuals who are going through a divorce. These feelings are normal and even healthy and there’s nothing wrong with wanting to lean on friends and family for support during this difficult time. This does not, however, include turning to your 450 closest Facebook friends. Social media websites like Facebook are great for connecting with old and new friends, posting harmless

Unwed fathers and child custody On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Fathers’ Rights on Thursday, December 10, 2015. Concerns about how child custody matters will be decided often weigh heavily on the minds of unwed parents. Perhaps more than any other family law-related matters, proceedings related to child custody and visitations are highly emotional and can bring out the worst in both parents. While a parent may fear and dread the possibility of sharing custody with an ex, it’s important to keep in mind that, while you may want nothing to do with an ex, he or

Taking control of financial matters during the divorce process On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Divorce on Thursday, December 3, 2015. For anyone who is planning to file for divorce or was recently informed by a spouse of a divorce filing, concerns related to finances and maintaining your lifestyle are often top-of-mind. Fears about being left destitute after a divorce are often especially prevalent among individuals who, during a marriage, allowed a husband or wife to manage household finances. While anyone who is starting the divorce process is likely to experience a range of strong, confusing and

Avoiding the holiday drama: practical advice for co-parents On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Child Custody on Tuesday, November 24, 2015. Later this week, families throughout Illinois and the United States will gather to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. For parents who are recently divorced or going through a divorce, this holiday season is likely to be filled with many challenging firsts including having to communicate and coordinate with one’s ex or soon-to-be ex-spouse and not spending the entire holiday with one’s children. Even under the best and most normal of circumstances, the holiday season can be an

Frozen embryo lawsuit shows varying state views On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in family law on Sunday, November 22, 2015. Family planning takes on a whole new meaning as years pass. No longer does it only involve discussions between partners about when to start a family or what kind of birth control to use. Now, family planning conversations in Illinois can include the topic of frozen embryos and other advanced scientific methods.  A recent lawsuit in a different state highlights the new methods of family planning — and the legal as well as ethical complications that stem

How interstate custody can affect your life On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Child Custody on Friday, October 16, 2015. When a married couple has a child and they decide to file for divorce, things can become very complicated. Custody of the child will obviously be at the top of the list of issues that need to be handled in the divorce. While there are some couples who contest custody, many others are able to agree to some form of joint custody. No matter what form of custody is agreed, the custody arrangement can become complicated when

Divorce mistakes to avoid: Not making a long-term financial plan On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Divorce on Thursday, September 24, 2015. No one gets divorce 100 percent right. We all make mistakes. But that doesn’t mean we all need to make the same ones. There are some common mistakes that family law attorneys observe on a regular basis. There’s an old adage that says “failing to plan is planning to fail.” In today’s post, we’ll discuss how many individuals going through divorce become short-sighted about their financial future. They fail to realize that the decisions they

Having kids before marriage no longer considered a divorce risk On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Divorce on Friday, September 18, 2015. We often write about the ways in which family demographics and dynamics are changing. Because of these changes, “conventional wisdom” about marriage and divorce is also evolving. As an example, it was once believed that couples who lived together before getting married were more likely to divorce than couples who did not cohabit (until tying the knot). Studies in recent years have debunked this correlation, noting that the age at which cohabitation and marriage began

Understanding the differences between divorce and annulment On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in family law on Friday, September 11, 2015. Divorce is a common procedure and usually well understood by the general public. A close relative of divorce is annulment, which many have heard of but few understand. It is far less common than divorce, and most people aren’t clear on how it differs. Before we continue, however, we need to clarify use of the term. In most states, marriages can be annulled under certain circumstances. Here in Illinois, couples can seek what’s called a “judgment of

Apologizing to kids for divorce: What to say and what not to say On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Divorce on Wednesday, September 2, 2015. Apologies are complex and nuanced things. People apologize in many ways, for many different reasons – not all of them honorable. We may apologize because we are truly sorry. We might apologize to make another person feel comfortable. We may apologize to be polite. We may apologize simply to end an argument . . . the list goes on. If made correctly and sincerely, an apology can mend deep emotional wounds. If