While fathers are far more likely than they once were to take a very active role in raising their children, mothers – as a whole – continue to be more involved overall and to take a more considerable hit in terms of their earnings as a result. If you are facing a divorce, protecting your financial and parental rights as a woman is key, and for that, you need an experienced women’s rights divorce lawyer in Chicago in your corner.
Child custody in Illinois is called parental responsibilities, which refers to legal custody and decision making authority, and parenting time, which refers to visitation or physical custody. While you and your husband may have both worked, you – as the mother – are still more likely to have done more of the active parenting. When Illinois courts make parenting time determinations, the best interests of the children guide them, and two factors that play a role – among many – include the following:
If you have been the primary caregiver for your children, it can support your goal of becoming the primary custodial parent, but there are a wide range of other factors that must be taken into consideration. A seasoned women’s rights divorce lawyer can help.
Because women are somewhat more likely to become primary custodial parents, they are also more likely to receive child support. When it comes to child support, Illinois uses a shared income model which takes the income of both parties into consideration when calculating child support. It’s important to note, however, that if your ex surpasses a specified number of overnights with your shared children, it can reduce the amount of child support you receive on their behalf.
In Illinois, assets acquired during marriage are deemed marital and must be distributed between you fairly upon divorce. Men are more likely to have separate assets and to keep them strictly separate, which means they often have the financial advantage. The division of marital property will play an essential role in your financial future, which makes getting it right paramount.
When one spouse is left financially disadvantaged by divorce and the other has the ability to assist, alimony – or spousal maintenance – can be ordered. Because women are more likely to assume a primary caregiving role, their finances are more likely to take a hit, and they are more likely to be in the position of needing spousal maintenance. Obtaining the alimony to which you are entitled will hinge upon your ability to demonstrate your financial need – in relation to a wide range of relevant factors – to the court.
The savvy women’s rights divorce lawyers at WARD FAMILY LAW in Chicago dedicate their practice to helping clients like you obtain divorce terms that protect their rights – now and into the future. Don’t wait to learn more by contacting us today.
Love and marriage. We needed a prenup because our families made us do one just to be safe. The entire thing was smooth so we could focus on our wedding and not be too crazy with the prenup. The agreement was drafted and reviewed by each of our attorneys, we signed and we were married. Woo Hoo. Thanks again, Ward Family Law.
10/10 is my rating for Ward Family Law. Jennifer and Emily went above and beyond in my divorce case. I cannot say more praise.
I lost my job but still had to pay the child support. I was scrambling. I talked to Jennifer Ward and she explained the process and the need to quickly file to put the court on notice that my child support needed to change. She saved me so much money in the long run while I looked for a new job so that I could start paying to help my kids again. Losing my job was not in the plan but at least my kids are on track.
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