In November 2013, the Illinois House of Representatives approved same-sex marriage legislation by a narrow vote of 61 to 54 with the Illinois Senate following suit with a vote of 32 to 51. As Governor Pat Quinn placed pen to paper, Illinois became the 16th state to recognize same sex marriage effective June 1, 2014.

For the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, this has been a welcomed victory, but one Illinois business owner will not join in the celebration.

According to a recent article by the Huffington Post, Jim Walder, owner of the TimberCreek Bed and Breakfast located near Paxton, Illinois strongly stated he will not be advertising  destination wedding packages to the members of the LGBT community.

Today's pace wreaks havoc on our already overloaded schedules. We work, we shop, we cook, we carpool, we do homework, we do housework, we shuttle our kids to sport practices we do, we do, the list goes on and on and on.

We rely on the trusty refrigerator calendar to keep track of every appointment. We do our best to keep close tabs on our children, especially our teenagers. This can be especially difficult if we're co-parenting after  a divorce.

For those families residing in Illinois, juvenile curfew laws remain on the books. The Illinois Child Curfew Act (720 ILCS 555) mandates that any juvenile (17 years and under) must return to their residence before the end of the specified curfew hour. Reinforce with your teen that taking a slight detour or briefly stopping by a friend's house is an excuse that probably will not satisfy the local authorities. The Act further states that once the juvenile returns home they must remain at their residence until the end of the specified curfew. Sneaking out the bedroom window for a rendezvous with friends is not a viable option.

It is over. You and your spouse have decided to throw in the towel. At this point you have both realized that your marriage is on the ropes and soon to be down for the count. As you are lacing up your gloves in anticipation, it is time to retain an experienced trainer, in this case, an experienced Illinois divorce attorney. Lets get ready to rumble…

Seriously researching and retaining your divorce attorney is an important decision. You need to feel comfortable and confident in the one person who will be your strongest ally and advocate. When researching family law attorneys in your area, keep these tips in mind:

Do your homework. Investigate the internet, check with friends and even contact your local bar association for referrals.

You are seeking a service and it is quite common to openly discuss fee schedules up front to  ward off any surprises. Attorney fees can realistically range anywhere from $100 to over $500 per hour. The outcome of your divorce will define your future. Choosing an attorney based on cost alone is not the best strategy.

You and your spouse have just officially agreed on getting a divorce, now comes the time to plan how you will break the news to your children. Divorce on its own is scary and overwhelming, and that is only magnified by throwing kids into the mix. However, if you prepare efficiently, sitting down and having “the talk” with your kids can go smoothly.

Before sitting down with your kids, don’t be afraid to consult with a child or family therapist for advice on what to say and how to say it. Helping children of divorce can be challenging Sit down with your spouse and write out a script for the conversation you will have with the kids-this will make giving the actual talk much less intimidating. Choose a specific time and place to sit down and break the news-you do not want friends or relatives to be present, and you do not want the talk to conflict with important dates (for example, the night before a big test).

Research shows that, even though a child may accept the divorce of their parents, the memory of being told usually sticks with them forever. Again, this means that you should put a lot of thought to when and where you will break the news-these details will undoubtedly stick with your kids.

Ten years into the marriage, your spouse comes to you tired and cranky and declares that he wants to start his own business. You know you look surprised on the exterior but on the interior your stomach is doing somersaults.

He explains that he is tired of working for someone else and padding the pockets of an unappreciative tyrant. He knows he can be successful in his own adaptation of his career choice. Trying not to hyperventilate you squash your feelings of nausea and try to smile supportively.

He continues to verbalize his business plan while you calculate the monthly budget and balance of each child's college fund in your swirling mind. What were those vows, for better or worse?