Waukegan Family Law Blog

Divorce or uncontested divorce- which is right for you?

By Thomas M. Gurewitz, Attorney At Law posted in divorce on Tuesday, January 15, 2019.

Ending a marriage can be a complicated and emotional process and if you're contemplating divorce, you may be wondering about your options. Depending on how amicable a relationship is and whether a couple agrees on the issues of their separation, a couple can choose to pursue an uncontested divorce, saving themselves both time and money.

Divorce and uncontested divorce have the same result, but the way that they arrive at that result is different. Knowing the differences between them can help you determine the best path for your situation.

How can I recover financially after divorce?

On behalf of Thomas M. Gurewitz, Attorney At Law posted in family law on Monday, January 14, 2019.

Divorced people in Illinois often don’t realize how much their finances will be impacted as a result. Asset division and orders to pay child or spousal support can affect your bottom line, to the point where you may be concerned about making ends meet. In this case, Entrepreneur offers the following advice on how you can recover financially after a divorce.

The first step is to identify your debt to income ratio. This will give you an idea of how much money you need to meet your financial needs each month. If there are deficits, look for areas where you can cut back on spending. For instance, if you eat out often consider making more meals at home. You can also take on more hours at work to increase your income until you reach financial stability again.

Who gets the dog in divorce?

On behalf of Thomas M. Gurewitz, Attorney At Law on Friday, January 4, 2019.

If you’re in the midst of a divorce, you know that there are a number of hot-button issues to consider as you disentangle your lives, such as child custody and dividing up the property and assets. But an increasingly common and heated topic couples face is who gets to keep the dog after they split.

Families have long considered their pets to be a member of their family and the thought of losing Fido to your ex can be heartbreaking. People have strong bonds with their dogs and cats which makes deciding pet custody an emotional and complicated process. A recent change to Illinois law agrees.

What are the types of adoption?

On behalf of Thomas M. Gurewitz, Attorney At Law posted in adoptions on Monday, December 24, 2018.

Adoption is a wonderful process where you can give a child a loving home in Illinois. It enables you to be a part of another person's life and make a huge impact. When considering adoption, it helps to learn a bit more about the options. The Adoption Center explains there are three different types of adoption, excluding step-parent adoption, which is different than adopting a child not already in your family.

When people think of adoption, they often think of independent adoption. This is where you work with a company that specializes in placing children with new families. This is usually the most expensive type. It often allows you to adopt a child as an infant. It may also be possible to be involved with the mother when she is pregnant.

Overcoming the financial strain caused by a divorce

On behalf of Thomas M. Gurewitz, Attorney At Law posted in divorce on Saturday, December 8, 2018.

Divorce can influence many areas of a person's life in Illinois. They may experience changes in the relationships they have with their children and people who were mutual friends of both them and their ex. They may notice that their job performance is affected as they cope with the emotional turmoil of their split. Perhaps the most prevalent, they may experience financial strain as they work to reestablish their independence.

Experts recommend that despite the chaos and momentary uncertainty of the future, that people refrain from panicking because of their divorce situation. With the right tools, resources and professional intervention where necessary, people can recover from divorce and continue to live a successful life from a financial standpoint. They also recommend that people formulate a plan for their future and establish a budget where they can be confident about knowing how their money is being spent.

How can I deal with conflict over the holidays?

On behalf of Thomas M. Gurewitz, Attorney At Law posted in parenting time on Sunday, December 2, 2018.

Recently divorced couples in Illinois may be dreading the upcoming holiday season. Conflict can be a very real concern in this case, and it can be just as hard on the divorced couple as it is on their children. There are steps you can take to mitigate family conflict over the holidays, as illustrated by Very Well Mind.

Have your own gathering

Keeping emotions from leading to property division missteps

On behalf of Thomas M. Gurewitz, Attorney At Law posted in divorce on Friday, November 16, 2018.

A divorce brings about major changes in a person's life and can be stressful in many ways. So, a lot of emotions can be going through one's head during the process. While it is natural to experience very strong emotions when getting divorced, it can be important to not let these emotions drive decision-making when it comes to key divorce legal matters, such as property division.

Letting emotions take over could lead to critical property division missteps that could hurt one's overall interests. Some examples of such missteps include: