Embarking on divorce discussions with your partner can be daunting. While many opt to have these talks within the confines of a counseling setting, several individuals approach us with uncertainty about their decision to divorce and the potential paths to take.

Although many couples enter the divorce process with unclear expectations, pre-divorce legal counseling helps clarify the path forward—overall, Legal Solutions - Collaborative Family Law finds that legal counseling proves extraordinarily beneficial for both parties.

Throughout the collaborative divorce process, couples often strive to preserve their relationship. As a process built on mutually beneficial outcomes, collaborative divorce helps couples work through challenges healthily.

While the Illinois divorce process can be stressful, divorce coaching offers practical solutions. In a traditional litigation, both parties vie for a more preferable outcome. Thus, traditional litigation pits them against one another. Such a dynamic naturally increases stress.

For Illinois divorces with children in the mix, emotional implications quickly ramp up. Holistically, divorce carries a heavy weight for children. Typically, adult parents have accumulated decades of life experience. On the other hand, for children, life as they knew it will never be the same.

As Illinois divorce finances continue to mount, both parties tend to question their current path. Ultimately, lengthy litigation entails high financial costs. Sometimes, both parties walk away with a fraction of their initial net worth. Additionally, the courtroom battle presents an exhaustive exploration of the emotional spectrum.

Couples who work together face unique legal challenges regarding the division of their business during the Illinois divorce process. Oftentimes, this occurs when the divorcing couple owns a business together. Alternatively, one spouse may own the business before marriage. As with other aspects of the divorce process, the priority is preserving the business. Mediation and Collaborative Divorce help couples to achieve this goal.

When a couple decides to get a divorce, the Illinois divorce filing process sometimes turns into a race. In these cases, both the husband and wife attempt to file the divorce petition before the other one.

When discussing Illinois child support, the laws follow "shared income". Essentially, this means the state considers both parents’ income when determining child support. With this formula, the court calculates support based on their incomes. In addition, the court considers the number of overnights the child will spend with each parent.

While couples sometimes hastily enter the divorce process, pre-divorce attorney counseling provides a measured approach. Although it can be tempting to forge ahead quickly, counseling often uncovers additional insights, both financial and otherwise.

Common divorce mistakes take what can already be an emotionally draining process and complicate the situation further. Even when both spouses agree that divorce is in their family’s best interests, the process still contains its share of trials and tribulations. Moreover, divorce is almost always a grieving process.

Oftentimes, couples debate their homes in the Illinois divorce process. With the emotional attachment in mind, many people place a firm “I want the house” attitude.

When attempting to gauge Illinois divorce costs, the final dollar amount often depends on whether you’re pursuing litigation, mediation, or a collaborative divorce. As with any “How much does it cost?” question, the unsatisfying “It depends” answer doesn’t offer clients much value.