Posted on July 10, 2024 in Parental Allocation

Although different terms have been used to describe the alienation, brainwashing, or manipulation of a child during the split of their parents and child custody decisions, what is now known as alienation of parental affection has occurred at least since the 1800s. When renowned poet Percy Bysshe Shelley separated from his wife Harriet, the couple had a three-year-old daughter, and Harriet was pregnant with the couple’s son.

Harriet and her parents shut Shelley out of the lives of his children, and when Harriet committed suicide in 1816, Shelley was not even told of the death. Once he found out, he petitioned the court for custody of his children. The grandparents immediately began an assassination of character campaign, which was extremely successful. Shelley never saw his children again.

Since that time, turning children against one parent through lies and manipulation on the part of the other continues to happen and even has a name—parental alienation. There are no states across the nation that have a specific parental alienation law. Most states do, however, acknowledge the existence of parental alienation, along with the damage it can cause.

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 Posted on June 12, 2024 in Prenuptial/Postnuptial Agreements

Many people have a general sense of what a prenuptial agreement is: a document that a couple signs before they get married detailing how they will divide their assets and manage their finances in the hypothetical event of a future divorce. Although thinking about your marriage ending when you are still engaged can be unpleasant, many people enjoy the peace of mind it affords them. However, some people feel they signed their prenup against their will, and that can be enough of a reason to nullify it. If you are about to begin divorce proceedings but feel you were pressured into signing your prenup, a compassionate Rolling Meadows, IL family law attorney can review what happened and advise you on how to proceed.

Can I Prove That I Was Forced to Sign My Prenup?

People are sometimes pressured into signing a prenup against their will. Fortunately, there are several factors that the courts take into consideration when trying to decide whether this was the case, including:

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 Posted on May 28, 2024 in Child Support

There are many things to disagree about during a divorce. The biggest disagreements, however, often concern children. Parents who were recently making decisions together about their child begin to feel territorial about the child when the marriage ends. Then, making decisions about their child’s education, health, or religious upbringing becomes a series of arguments.

Illinois law tries to prevent many of these disagreements before they happen by requiring parents to make a parenting plan. A parenting plan is legally binding, so it is best to have it drafted by an experienced family lawyer.

What Is a Parenting Plan?

A parenting plan is a document that details how you and your ex-spouse will co-parent your child together. During a divorce, the parents must submit a parenting plan to the court for approval. If they do not agree on one, each parent submits his or her own and the court will make one for them.

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 Posted on April 24, 2024 in Uncategorized

Even the most amicable of divorces can be stressful. When a soon-to-be-former spouse is a narcissist, divorce can become a high-wire balancing act. The good news is that with planning and preparation, the process can be smoother.

Understanding Narcissists

While everyone is different, narcissists tend to have similar patterns of behavior. Knowing these patterns and how narcissists often have low self-esteem under the bravado can provide a guide for navigating your divorce.

Narcissists are unending holes of need: They need to be the best. They need attention and adulation. They need to always be the winner. Divorcing doesn't fit with this narrative, which often means they seek ways to punish or blame a former spouse.

For narcissists, relationships are often more about use than love. They tend to follow a cycle:

• Idealize
• Devalue
• Discard

Idealizing usually comes in the form of love bombing. A type of seduction, love bombing can feel heady for the target and may make them feel like they've met their soulmate.

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 Posted on April 10, 2024 in Uncategorized

Social media is a wonderful tool for us to share important life events with friends, family, and strangers. It allows us to connect to loved ones and celebrate milestones when we can't be together in person.

One life event I advise my clients not to share on social media is divorce. There's almost no upside and considerable downside to advertising the end of your marriage on TikTok, Instagram, or any other social media platform. Liberating as it can be to celebrate the end of a relationship, keep those celebrations private and offline.

Yes, Social Media is Admissible Evidence

Videos about divorce have been popular on TikTok since at least 2019. Before TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms all had their moment of being the go-to place for life announcements.

One change is that, as a video platform, the context of videos shared on TikTok can be harder to hide. The written word or a single photo may be misconstrued, but a video can be harder to dismiss.

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