Posted on September 13,2012 in Distribution of Assets

If you’re a woman going through a divorce, you need to ask yourself two tough questions: Could your husband be hiding assets? And if he is, does that mean you won’t get the divorce settlement you deserve?

Hiding assets during a divorce is sneaky, unethical and illegal – and it happens much more frequently than most women suspect.

Unfortunately, as you go through the divorce process, your husband may try to take advantage of the situation by hiding income and/or assets. How can you tell? What steps can you take to ensure you have an accurate accounting of your family finances?

Be on the lookout for telltale signs that your husband has some dirty tricks up his sleeve and make sure you work with a qualified divorce team to ensure you have the professional expertise and support required to receive a fair settlement.

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 Posted on September 08,2012 in Divorce

An Australian man is getting a dirtier divorce than he expected. The award by the judge is one of the strangest divorce case settlements one could possibly imagine.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported last Tuesday that the man, known only by his pseudonym, Mr. Moss, is being forced to dig up his parents& ashes after his ex-wife was awarded their family farm in the divorce settlement.

Mr. Moss created a memorial garden on the property after his father died in 2002. When his mother died six years later, her urn was buried on the property as well. According to an Australian newspaper, Mr. Moss was given 14 days to remove the headstones and urns from the property.

The judge reportedly granted the property to Mr. Moss& ex-wife because she was unemployed and unable to purchase a similar property within their community, unlike Mr. Moss, whose annual salary is $160,000.

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 Posted on September 04,2012 in Divorce

Given the poor economic climate of the United States, a new study funded by Ohio State University makes a lot of sense.  As people are losing their jobs and drowning in credit card debt, it is hard to swallow paying for a divorce.  Most people try to separate before making a life-changing decision like divorce, but some people just stay separated.

"Long-term separation seems to be the low-cost, do-it-yourself alternative to divorce for many disadvantaged couples," said Dmitry Tumin, co-author of the study and a student studying sociology at Ohio State University. "Separation may not be their first choice, but they may feel it is their best choice."  Tumin compiled the research for this study with the help of sociology professor Zhenchao Qian.  They used data from over 7,000 people across the country who have been surveyed every couple of years since 1974.

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 Posted on September 01,2012 in Technology and Divorce

Almost everyone has an account on Facebook, Twitter or some other social media service. People share many personal things on social media, including how they are feeling at a given moment or what may be frustrating them. It is also easy to find old friends and ex-girlfriends or ex-boyfriends on social media, which can easily affect your emotional life and your marriage.

CBS reported a story about the effects social media is having on relationships and divorces. According to the story, social media is causing countless divorces, because men and women are discovering their spouse&s online indiscretions. A woman who wanted to remain anonymous said in the CBS story that she found out her husband was having numerous relationships with women online, and that ruined their marriage.

Social media is not only affecting marriages and relationships due to people are cheating online, but also because people are saying things or posting pictures that their spouses look at in shock. People get caught lying about where they went or what they are doing, or they say something that really upsets their spouse. Social media can also be a dangerous enemy in divorce.

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 Posted on August 31,2012 in Distribution of Assets

Unlike some other states, Illinois is not a community property state. Money or property acquired during the course of the marriage is presumed to belong to the marriage and, as such, is subject to an equitable division upon divorce. What is "equitable" is decided on a case-by-case basis.

Some examples of the property that is divided in a divorce include homes, automobiles, household furniture and furnishings, bank accounts, pensions and retirement plans, stocks and stock options, businesses and business interests, and even frequent flier miles.

In dividing marital property, the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act requires that the Judge consider the following factors:

1. The contribution of each party to the acquisition, preservations, or increase or decrease in value of the marital or non-marital property, including the contribution of a spouse as a homemaker or to the family unit.

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