Divorce can seem like a daunting process. Most people who want to end their marriage have little to no experience handling legal matters and dealing with the court system. The intense emotional toll divorce takes on a person can make it even harder to address the legal, financial, and logistical aspects of the split. If you are at the beginning stages of a divorce, consider reaching out to an experienced lawyer for help. Additionally, take the following steps to prepare yourself for the divorce process.

Learn About Illinois Divorce Laws

Each state has different divorce laws. To make the situation even more confusing, these laws change frequently. One way to boost your confidence and prepare yourself for divorce is to educate yourself about divorce laws in your state. Knowledge is power. Learning about the laws regulating divorce filing, grounds for divorce, property division, child custody, and other applicable divorce issues can help you feel more secure. It can also help you determine the specific challenges your divorce case may entail. Our own E-Book “MKFM Law’s Common-Sense Guide To A Successful Divorce,” is a great resource that is available for purchase on Amazon. You can also get a complimentary copy by simply sending a request to [email protected].   

Determine Your Living Arrangements

Living arrangements during a separation or divorce can be tricky. Many divorcing spouses hesitate to move out due to financial concerns or because they have children. They may also worry that moving out of the marital home will make them less likely to get the home in the divorce. Evaluate your financial situation and consider the pros and cons of various living arrangements.

 Divorce at any age can be complicated. However, getting divorced in your 60s involves additional complicating factors. If you are thinking about ending your marriage and you are in your 60s, you may have financial, legal, and practical concerns. You may worry about your ability to retire on time or have questions about the ownership of your home. You may also worry about how divorcing will affect your grown children or the friendships you have with other married couples. There is no getting around it: Divorce later in life is challenging. Fortunately, you do not have to go through it alone. A divorce attorney experienced in “gray divorce” matters can be a tremendous asset during the divorce process.

Financial Considerations for Older Couples Who Divorce

During your divorce, you will need to address the allocation of your property and debts. In Illinois, property that was obtained by either spouse during the marriage is considered marital property except for a few exceptions. Retirement assets accumulated during the marriage are also considered marital property. A divorce attorney can help you figure out how the split will affect your retirement.

Furthermore, older couples often have greater wealth than younger couples. You and your spouse may own real estate, business investments, stocks, antiques, and other complex assets that will need to be accurately valued before they are divided.

State and federal laws prohibit employers from discriminating against workers because of their sex or gender. Sexual harassment falls under the umbrella of discrimination based on sex. An employee who is sexually harassed by an employer, supervisor, or co-worker may file a complaint. The employer is required to take action to prevent further harassment.

However, sometimes, the harassing individual is not an employer or employee. Third-party harassment occurs when a non-employee harasses an employee. If you were harassed by a vendor, contractor, customer, or other non-employee at work, read on to learn more.

Is My Employer Responsible for Harassment Committed by Non-Employees?

Employers have a legal obligation to ensure the workplace is safe. This includes taking reasonable steps to protect employees from third-party harassment. Employees should not have to tolerate sexual harassment, intimidation, or assault from clients, customers, delivery persons, vendors, independent contractors, or anyone else at work. If you were harassed at work by a non-employee, report the harassment to your employer. Your employer is legally obligated to investigate the situation and take corrective action.  Employers may be liable if they ignore third-party sexual harassment and fail to take corrective action after a sexual harassment complaint.  

When married couples with children divorce, they must address more than asset division and other property issues. They must also address how they plan to raise their children as a divorced couple. In Illinois, child custody involves two main components. The allocation of parental responsibilities is the allocation of significant decision-making responsibilities. Parenting time is the time each parent spends with the child. Read on to learn about how parenting time can impact child support payments in a DuPage County divorce.

Do I Pay Less If I Have More Parenting Time?

Child-related expenses can quickly add up and child support helps unmarried, or divorced parents share financial responsibility for their children.

In Illinois, child support payment amounts are based on the parents’ respective net incomes. The amount a parent pays is almost exclusively based on the parents’ financial circumstances. The parent with the greater amount of parenting time is expected to make his or her financial contribution to the child by caring for the child and meeting the child’s basic needs. The parent with less parenting time is expected to make his or her financial contribution to the child through child support payments.

Being the victim of sexual harassment is already bad enough. People not believing you is even worse. Despite it being illegal, many people still face sexual harassment and discrimination at work. The harassment may come in the form of requests for sexual favors, derogatory comments about a person’s sexuality, offensive statements about someone’s body, or unwanted touching. Any form of sexual harassment is unacceptable. No one should have to tolerate being sexually harassed at work.

Employers Have a Legal Obligation to Investigate and Address Sexual Harassment

Did you know that per state and federal law, employers have to address sexual harassment? If you reported sexual harassment or discrimination to your manager and nothing was done, do not give up. Take the following steps:

• Report the harassment according to your company policy – Most companies have policies and procedures for reporting sexual harassment. Follow your company guidelines. If the person who is harassing you is the person you are supposed to report harassment to, you may have to go over that person’s head to the next supervisor.
• Keep records of everything – Write down every instance of harassment in a notebook or electronic document not connected to your work computer. Record what was said by who, who was witness to the harassing behavior, and how you responded. Make sure you also keep track of the times you have reported the harassment.
• Contact a lawyer for help – If nothing is done to remedy the situation, you may want to contact a sexual harassment lawyer. Your attorney can help you take the next steps. You can also file a complaint with the Illinois Department of Human Rights and/or Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

It is Illegal for Employers to Retaliate Against Someone for Reporting Sexual Harassment

If you are like many people, you may be nervous to file a sexual harassment lawsuit for fear of retaliation. Fortunately, federal and state laws protect workers against retaliation. Your employer cannot decrease your pay, fire you, give you less desirable work duties, or take another action against you out of revenge. If the employer does retaliate against you, you may have a valid unlawful retaliation lawsuit. You could be entitled to monetary damages.