Recent Blog Posts
Chicago has Most Online Users on Cheating Dating Website
The online dating website Victoria Milan is marketed specifically for people who are seeking "discreet affairs." The site has conducted several surveys of its users to help gain insight in what clients who sign up are really thinking.
The site, which has users from all over Europe and North America, conducted a survey of U.S. clients to find out which city has the most active online users. And the winner is Chicago, where clients spend 25 percent more time on the dating site than clients in the rest of the country. Los Angeles came in at 21 percent higher than the rest of the country’s users, New York City at 18 percent, Houston was at 11 percent and Dallas came in at nine percent.
In another survey the site conducted, two-thirds of those survey admitted they would not cheat if it wasn’t for the internet. Sixty-six percent of users said that the internet gives them easy opportunities to stray, with all the social media sites that are available.
Steps to Take to Protect Yourself Financially During Divorce
You have finally made the decision to get a divorce. Whether it is an agreed upon decision with your spouse or something you've decided on your own, there are several things you should do in order to help minimize the financial hit you could be facing.
According to financial advisors, one of the first things you want to get rid of is any joint loans and credit cards you have with your soon-to-be ex-spouse. Until your divorce is final, you and your spouse are both legally and financially responsible for each other’s debts, even if you had nothing to do with incurring the debt. If your spouse takes your shared credit card that and decides to go out and charge a whole new wardrobe on it, you are both responsible for the debt. Never assume that your spouse would not do something like that. Even the friendliest divorces can suddenly turn contentious.
Dating After Divorce: How to Inform Your Kids About Your Decision to Begin Dating
Sounds a bit strange, does it not? You are an adult, you have been married and you have been divorced. Currently you are on your own and now feel you are ready to take a chance on dating. Be prepared; your children may not be supportive of your decision.
According to Constance Ahrons, Ph.D, family therapist and author of "The Good Divorce" and "We’re Still Family," your decision to begin dating, no matter how long after divorce, is probably going to be received by your children with chilly resistance. It may also stir up a whole new cauldron of feelings for your offspring. In fact, your decision to begin dating may even be as traumatic an event as the divorce.
So how do you approach the subject? Try the following these tips and remember you are an adult and you are capable of making an informed decision.
The Sit Down Conversation
How Flexing Your Funny Bone Could Save Your Marriage
According to Fun Trivia, laughing uses 53 of our muscles. Laughter, often revered as the best medicine, involves jiggling our facial, jaw and throat muscles, and ultimately tickling our Zygomatic and Risorius muscles. Did you ever consider that by flexing these 53 optimal muscles you could keep your marriage intact?
A new study conducted by University of Maryland sociologist, Philip N. Cohen, suggests that divorce rates will increase as our economy improves. The reason? Couples can finally afford to seek the services of an experienced divorce attorney to dissolve their marital ties and be financially secure in their decision.
So how could flexing these 53 muscles improve your chances of staying married as the economy improves? Co-authors, Amy Waterman and Andrew Rusbatch of "Save My Marriage Today!" offer the following advice.
The New Trend of Social Media Clauses in Prenups
When people think of prenuptial agreement clauses, what typically comes to mind are items such as property, financial assets and spousal support. However, due to how integral social media has become to our day to day lives, it is becoming more commonplace for couples to add clauses in their prenups regarding social media behavior.
These types of clauses are not just for celebrities or other people in the public spotlight. These types of provisions are for anyone who works in a business where their reputation is critical to success and could lose their job at even a hint of scandal.
Popular social media clauses include not posing any embarrassing or inappropriate photos or videos that could harm the other spouse’s reputation. This could also include what type of comments that a person makes.
Is Cold Feet a Sign of Future Divorce?
Two separate studies have concluded that if a bride or groom develops "cold feet" before the wedding takes place, it could be a sign that there may not be a living happily ever after ahead.
During one of the studies, conducted by University of California, 232 newlywed couples were interviewed. In order to participate, all couples needed to meet the following criteria:
- The marriage is less than six months old;
- This is the first marriage for both spouses;
- Neither spouse has any children;
- Both spouses are over 18 years of age, but wives are younger than 35 years of age;
- Both couples have at least a 10th grade education.
Of the 464 people the study interviewed, 47 percent of the men and 38 percent of the women admitted to being uncertain about getting married before the wedding. The conclusion of the researchers was that marriages where at least one spouse had doubts had poorer staying power after four years. Marriages where the wife had expressed doubts had two and a half times higher the divorce rate.
Is Adoption Right for Me? Trusting Your Answers and an Experienced Illinois Adoption Attorney
Determining whether or not adoption is the right path for you takes careful consideration. It is not a decision you will reach quickly, because your decision may affect the child, you and your spouse, and the birth parents. There are some tough questions to ask not of the adoption agency but of yourself.
Planned Parenthood, a trusted healthcare provider of women around the globe, offers a list of questions to potential adoptive parents to encourage considerations before moving forward with your decision to adopt a child into your life and your home.
- Am I ready to become a parent?
- Do I have adequate finances to care for a child?
- How will adoption affect my future?
- Will I be haunted by the fact that I am not the biological parent?
How to Choose the Right Divorce Attorney for You
One of the most important steps in going through a divorce is choosing your attorney. Having the right attorney can help determine how smooth, or how wrought with delays and frustrations your divorce will be.
When choosing an attorney, you should consider several candidates. Get referrals from several sources. If you have friends who have recently gone through divorces, ask them. Depending on how their divorces went, some may even recommend their ex-spouse's attorney instead of their own. It is also a good idea to get referrals from other attorneys. If you have an attorney you consult with for business or an estate planning attorney, contact them and ask them for a referral. You can also visit the websites of your local and state bar associations to get names of family law attorneys.
The Perils of DIY Online Divorce
With the advancement of the internet, it is possible to enjoy all the goods and services we have become accustomed to without ever leaving home. We can order our groceries, style a new wardrobe, do our banking, pay bills and chat with our doctor all from the convenience of our homes. However, the internet does not make us all experts on everything. It is not recommended that you file for divorce online, where scams and false information can be common.
If you are contemplating divorce, the American Bar Association hosts an informative research page providing answers to frequently asked questions and a divorce term glossary. Reputable sites can be helpful but beware of lesser sites offering a quick and affordable online divorce options.
Websites offering you a quick, affordable online divorce can prove perilous for the following reasons:
Assistance Available for all Illinois Family Members of Divorce
Latchkey kids. For many, these children live in single family homes either due to divorce or explanatory absence of one parent. The concept of latchkey kids dates back to World War II, when fathers left to serve and mothers entered war effort industries. Often awarded a key, dangling from a piece of string placed around their necks, latchkey kids arrived at an empty home and waited for mom to finish her shift. World War II moms often opted for the swing shift, requiring them to lock the door and slip off to work while their children slept. The country realized this was an issue, and promptly set up community centers where Latchkey Kids could safely await mom’s arrival.
These types of programs ended shortly after the war, leaving Americans still wondering how to work, support families and ensure the safety of their children. Sixty-nine years later, latchkey kids remain a societal issue of today’s generation.