Recent Blog Posts
Former Cubs Player Charged With Domestic Abuse
Milton Bradley, 34, has been charged with abusing his estranged wife on January 11, according to this article from ABC news.
Bradley, a former Chicago Cubs outfielder, faces 13 misdemeanor counts of assault with a deadly weapon, vandalism and dissuading a witness from making a report. He could receive up to 13 years in prison and $13,000 in fines and restitution if convicted.
There have been other instances of domestic disturbance between Bradley and his wife. In 2011 and 2012, prosecutors say he threatened his wife five times—and was arrested twice in 2011. Although the wife has given details of certain encounters, Bradley maintains that she’s lying about the alleged abuse. He told his lawyer that “she's making up stories. I don't know what she's talking about.” Some of the allegations include Bradley kicking his wife in the ribs, threatening her with a knife, and choking her after she asked that he not smoke marijuana in front of their two kids. Currently, the two are in the middle of a contentious divorce.
Illinois Hospitals Attempt to Address Increase in Violence
Recently, various hospitals, health departments, a community college, and an extended living center all received “Award for Excellence” plaques for addressing domestic violence and sexual abuse as public issues, according to a recent article published by the Illinois Valley News Tribune.
Illinois Health Cares, a state-wide health initiative aiming to decrease domestic violence and sexual assault, presented the awards. One of the coordinators of a domestic violence and sexual assault service, Christine Chalkey, stated that “Every hospital across the three counties realizes the importance of working together to end violence and should be commended for their collaborative efforts to educate and bring awareness to employees, patients and the public about the bad health effects caused by exposure to violence.”
Chalkey’s program, officially named IHC, works with hospitals and health care professionals to educate the public about the health dangers of domestic violence, sexual assault, and even elder abuse. Each year more than $ 4 billion is spent for medical care to treat the effects of said domestic violence, sexual assault, and elder abuse. This fact is one of the driving factors of IHC’s efforts to educate health care professionals, who, in turn, educate the public.
Common Mistakes in Illinois Divorces
When going through a divorce, people have to make important financial decisions while experiencing a lot of emotional stress at the same time. This can lead to a lot of mistakes that often times come back to haunt them later on in life. According to EIN News, one of the largest contributors to financial problems after divorce is simply a lack of information. More often than not, only one spouse in a marriage is responsible for financial matters. Because of this, the other spouse is often not very practiced in making financial decisions, and could potentially be taken advantage of when making negotiations. This can easily be avoided by making sure both parties are aware of the couple’s financial status and sharing responsibilities when it comes to real estate, retirement accounts and pensions, stocks, or vehicles, among others.
Another serious mistake that is often made during a divorce is not budgeting. In a typical marriage, both the husband and the wife are accustomed to living off of the salaries of two people. When they make the split, they must change their lifestyles to accommodate the new restrictions and lower income. This involves a lot of budgeting and cutting back, which sometimes people forget to consider and carry out.
Facebook Causes Higher Divorce Rates
In 2011, studies through Divorce-Online discovered that Facebook was named third in divorce filings. Social media has made it simple to find old flames from a person’s past, especially Facebook. Just one simple task of typing in someone’s name can lead to a link into their social world, which can sometimes cause harm to marriages. Social media has become the primary source of communication, even surpassing texting and emails. So if someone wants to have an affair Facebook is the place to do so, according to Divorce-Online.
U.S. divorce attorneys have found more and more people filing for divorce because of Facebook. The authors of “Facebook and Your Marriage,” state that the site can cause harm to what would be a happy marriage. They also go on to say that people are more upfront when they aren’t face to face with the actual person. Normally, when a person is having a conversation on the computer they don’t use their common sense before sending the message. They feed off of the rush of the mental affair, which encourages them further.
Talking about Divorce during the Holidays
Dealing with divorce is a family affair. Sometimes it becomes too much of a discussion among family members. Chicago Now reports several ways to deal with questions regarding the pending divorce proceedings.
It never fails that someone will ask how the divorce is going. It is important to remember to always keep it positive. Give a short answer letting them know that it is going great and couldn’t be better despite the circumstances. If they continue to poke, there is no shame in letting them know that you do not want to talk about during a time of celebration. It is also important to only discuss the divorce with your attorney.
There is always someone that is going to be there with tons of advice on how to deal with the situation. Depending on how you feel about the giver of the advice, it is up to you whether you are going to take heed to the advice. Again, there is a time and a place. Let them know that you are doing fine and that you will give them a call later if you need them. It is up to you whether you actually make the call or not.
Supreme Court Hears Child Custody Case Arguments
Of all the cases presented to be heard by the United States Supreme Court, only 1 percent of them are actually chosen. It is extremely rare to find a child custody case in the chosen few. But just recently, the Court heard oral arguments in the case, Chafin v. Chafin, 11-1347.
The case is an international custody dispute involving the five year old daughter of Army Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey Lee Chafin, an American citizen, and the child’s mother, who is Scottish. The little girl was born in Germany with dual United States and United Kingdom citizenship. When Sgt. Chafin was deployed to Afghanistan, his wife took their daughter and moved to Scotland, establishing a residence there. When Chafin was transferred to Alabama, the family reunited and resided in Alabama.
Shortly after the reunion, marital problems arose and Chafin’s wife filed with the federal district court to return with their child to Scotland. She successfully argued that the child’s habitual residence was Scotland, and pursuant to The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, she was able to secure an order by the court. Chafin filed a motion to stay, which was denied, and his wife took their child and moved to Scotland, where she quickly filed for Scottish custody proceedings, which, fourteen months later, are still pending.
A New Book to Help Children through Divorce
According to the Times Union, there is a new book that was released just in time for the holidays called. “Divorce: What about ME?” While this may not be on very many wish lists, it is something that can definitely assist a young mind with the questions that they may have.
Through the divorce process, the emotions can run high between both parents and even among other members of the family. Where the children are used to seeing a certain harmony and accord, there may not be very much harmony left. Children of all ages tend to internalize the problem going on with the parents and they may even feel as if the divorce is their fault.
There is no easy way to explain to a young child child why mommy and daddy are not going to be together anymore. This is where this book comes in. Children love rhyming tales and this book meets that standard. The author recommends this for children between the ages of three and nine. The book reminds the reader that both mom and dad will always love them even though they are no longer going to be together.
Divorce and Holidays: What Is Best for Your Children
Divorce can be an ordeal, especially during the holidays. Matters may get even more complicated if you have biological children and/or stepchildren. Fortunately, a recent article in the Chicago Tribune mentions several tips and strategies for navigating the holidays after a recent divorce.
- Ask your children what is important to them about the holiday and take their opinions into account when planning the holiday. Even simple things can be important, for example, where the kids like to sit at the table or how they like their vegetables. Traditions matter and sometimes your children may not even be aware of traditions until they are changed.
- Remember that your grown-up children may have been celebrating the same way for decades. That changes, however, when parents get a divorce. It may take your children a while to adjust to the new ways.
Playing dirty in divorce
Recently, there was a presentation of speakers about the legal, financial, and emotional aspects of divorce at Divorce University.
One speaker said that divorce is 80 percent emotional, 10 percent financial, and 10 percent legal.
Many recently divorced people also spoke throughout the day. One woman spoke of her ex’s attorney, “(he) was very nasty to me, it really bothered me.”
Another added that her ex’s attorney had told her that it was her fault that they were in court.
The conversation quickly turned to bashing of attorneys, although it may have been rightfully so.
The result of these women soon became that these “mean attorneys” were, in fact, using a strategy to pull ahead a win for their own clients. Many women’s self-esteem is at a very low point during and soon after divorce and these attorneys were using it to their clients’ advantages.
Cicero President’s Wife Files for Divorce
According to the Sun Times, Cicero President, Larry Dominick’s wife has filed for divorce. She claims abuse as her reasoning for the divorce. Elizabeth Dominick was a long standing director of the health clinic until recently.
Mrs. Dominick left her job earlier this year claiming she was facing abusive behavior at her work and didn’t want to deal with it anymore. She seemed happy with her marriage and no one seemed to expect her to file for divorce for this reason or any other at this time. There have been some questions revolving around the sudden circumstances that led to the divorce.
There was some question as to whether she was filing for divorce because of the recent FBI activity that is centered her husband and on the way that the city is being run. She claims this is not the reason and that she is just seeking a divorce for her own reasons. She claims that she only spoke to the FBI one time and that was for a different reason altogether.
If you are seeking a divorce and are not quite sure as to where to turn, then talking to an experienced Illinois divorce attorney may be a good thing for you to consider. These lawyers can help you to understand how a divorce works and how you can get the most out of it. Our experienced Kane County divorce lawyers can help you to keep the things you want and to know what your rights are in your divorce. If you think a divorce lawyer is not going to be needed, you may end up losing a lot. This includes your finances as well as your children or even your property. Divorces in Kane County are not something you can just muddle through. You have to be prepared in order to protect not only your money, but your lifestyle.
