Wondering what to do if your spouse refuses mediation? Discover how the Restorative Divorce™ process can help you navigate conflict and find a peaceful resolution for your family
Explore the controversial yet effective world of divorce resolution with Birt Family Law. Discover why mediation, led by our 20+ years experienced team, offers a streamlined, flat-fee process compared to DIY or litigation. Learn how prioritizing collaboration and co-parenting success can lead to positive outcomes. Join us in challenging the status quo and embracing a different approach to divorce for clarity and beneficial compromises.
Divorce creates turmoil for the entire family, but children struggle with different issues and emotions depending on their ages. Books on divorce for children allow children to work through issues and see that they are not alone.
Parents of Chicago-area kids, tweens, and teens preparing for a gender transition and those who are post-transition should understand the legal challenges involved with custody issues and a formal name change. Birt Law has all the answers, including a couple of resources for Chicago LGBTQ minors in this informative post.
Soberlink, a wireless breathalyzer that monitors sobriety in real-time, offers divorcing couples a path forward in shared parenting and visitation.
If you’re considering bankruptcy while you’re also considering or pursuing a divorce, the good news is that you can pursue a bankruptcy and a divorce at the same time in Illinois. But whether to file—and which one to pursue first—may depend a lot on your situation.
If you are contemplating divorcing or asking for child support, you are likely thinking about the cost to hire a child support attorney, whether custody mediation is worth it, and how much are the estimated costs for a child custody case in DuPage County? There are many similar questions, and in ...
Recently the DuPage County Bar Association's Family Law Committee focused on Parental Alienation from a Child's Perspective in Illinois which we will highlight in this post. In a previous post, I focused on the Illinois case law that further explains Parental Alienation and in this post I will hi...
In Illinois, divorcing couples need to prepare emotionally and financially for both the divorce process and life after divorce. When preparing emotionally, you may speak with a friend, family member, or trusted counselor. When preparing financially, your friend or family member might not be able...
We have previously discussed how courts look at assets and how different methods of divorce disclose and find assets. Do you know, however, that most couples don't even know what assets make up their total marital estate? So if you don't know what assets make up your marital estate, how do you k...
A contested DuPage County Divorce can last anywhere from 6 months to 2 years or more in the court system. In an earlier post, I highlighted Tips for Your Final Divorce Hearing, but what if you need help getting to your final divorce hearing? By hiring DuPage County Divorce Attorney Erin Birt yo...
Child custody exchanges between parents can be happy, peaceful, awkward, or downright horrible, depending on the relationship or issues between you and your ex-spouse. Family mediation might be needed in very difficult situations, but below are some general tips to make safe and stress free child...
Your divorce planning is done and your final divorce hearing, or Prove Up Hearing, has arrived. This is when the divorcing parties formally request that the judge approve the terms of their settlement, enter a Judgment for Dissolution of Marriage, and finalize the case. Below are some tips for y...
There's been little or no fighting. You're on relatively good terms with each other. You actually even like each other. It's just that you don't love each other any longer and divorce is the inevitable outcome. In situations like this–and even ones with more emotion–collaborative divorce planning...
In Illinois, parental alienation is the programming of a child by the alienating parent to believe that one parent is good and the other parent is bad with the goal that the child completely rejects the other parent. In 2012, I discussed the Illinois custody case, In re the Marriage of D.T.W., w...
Are you considering getting a divorce in Illinois in 2019? The first month of 2019 is already over, Happy New Year! 2019 is off to a fast start so today I will provide easy tips to help you finish your Illinois divorce in 2019. In my previous post, When to Get a Divorce, I discussed divorce timin...
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife, Mackenzie Bezos, have announced that they will divorce after 25 years of marriage. They made the announcement on January 9, 2019, however, they revealed that their family and friends have known for some time that they planned to divorce. Reportedly the ri...
Serious mental illnesses such as depressive disorders, bipolar disorders, and schizophrenia impact over half a million adult Illinois residents. The need to address serious mental illnesses during a divorce is becoming more common and it is important to use an attorney that has experience and ex...
A significant mental health diagnosis or guardianship might result in procedural, emotional, and financial complications during an Illinois Divorce. In a previous post, Mental Health Questions to Ask Your Illinois Divorce Attorney, I discussed questions you need to immediately ask your divorce at...
Major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and serious psychological distress can increase the risk of divorce in Illinois. It is important for the person to receive the appropriate treatment and it is just as important that they have ongoing treatment and support during the divo...
If you're playing sad love songs on repeat, eating pints of ice cream in one sitting, and sobbing on your bedroom floor, it sounds like you may have recently gone through a break-up. As Peter Gamlen stated in this article, you do not have to remain down, you can turn your most recent split into ...
Divorces happen more often than we would like to think, however, most people still learn about divorce from celebrities. Well, Justin Theroux and Jennifer Aniston just announced that they split amicably at the end of 2017. It appears they are trying to work out their differences privately and po...
There is a new Illinois Pet Custody Law. Starting January 1, 2018, Illinois Judges can consider the well-being of a pet when awarding sole or joint ownership during a divorce. Previously, pets were considered property. The pet, as well as the financial responsibility for the pet, was simply al...
Finances can be the source of many problems in a relationship. It is not merely the nuts and bolts of whether you will have joint accounts or maintain separate accounts, or who is responsible for paying which bills. Having mutually agreed to goals and processes for saving and spending money can b...
The traditional Illinois divorce process can last years. If you are contemplating divorce and do not want to wait several months or years, a Flat Fee Two Day Divorce plan can assist you in minimizing your time spent with an attorney and in the stressful divorce process. HOW DOES A TWO DAY DIVORC...
Birt Family Law is committed to keeping the separating family out of court and working together towards a positive resolution.
