Many people aspire to notoriety. However, few realize that there are also downsides to being in the public eye. Many recognizable individuals find themselves subject to public scrutiny and privacy violations. If you or your spouse are well-known, you may have concerns about how you can protect your privacy during divorce. The end of your marriage is a deeply personal matter, and it should never serve as entertainment or gossip for others. Fortunately, there are several steps that you can take to protect yourself in a high-profile divorce.

Consider Using a Non-Disclosure Agreement

A confidentiality agreement or non-disclosure agreement is a contract that requires parties to keep certain information confidential. During your divorce, you will likely share detailed information about your real estate holdings, investments, businesses, and other assets. You will also share information about any debts and liabilities you are subject to. Keeping private financial information like this confidential is a top priority in a high-profile divorce. Furthermore, information about your personal life may come to light during a divorce. Medical and psychological records, the results of child custody evaluations, and information about marital infidelity are just some examples of the personal topics that may be brought up during the divorce. A confidentiality agreement can be used to prohibit third parties from divulging confidential information. If a party violates the contract, the non-breaching party may be entitled to legal remedies including monetary damages.

Alternative Resolution Methods May Help You Avoid a Divorce Trial

When a divorcing couple cannot agree on property division, child custody, spousal maintenance, or other divorce issues, the case may go to trial. Most civil trials are a matter of public record. This means that your personal information may be available for anyone to view. If you can reach an out-of-court settlement through an alternative resolution method, you can avoid going to trial.

Marriages end for countless reasons. Some spouses simply grow apart while others experience a major breach in trust that brings the relationship to a screeching halt. If an issue such as infidelity has led to the breakdown of your marriage, there may be a great deal of tension and resentment between you and your spouse. If you are a parent, you are probably worried about how this tension will affect your children. Fortunately, there is considerable research about the effects of high-conflict divorce on children and the steps that parents can take to reduce their children’s stress during this tumultuous experience.

Avoid Arguing With Your Spouse or Discussing Legal Matters in Front of Your Kids  

Numerous studies have demonstrated the harmful effects of parental conflict on children. Although many parents in miserable marriages stay married for their children’s sake, research shows that many children feel less anxiety and depression once their parents separate compared to what they did when the parents were living together. Being exposed to arguments and tension between parents can increase a child’s chances of developing mental health problems and behavioral issues. One of the best ways to help reduce your children’s stress during divorce is to avoid talking about divorce-related issues such as child support or spousal maintenance in front of the children as much as possible.

When a married couple decides to divorce, one of the most pressing concerns often involves the family home. If you are a homeowner and you are considering divorce, you may wonder what Illinois law says about who gets to continue living in the family home and who must find another place to live during the divorce proceedings. As with most family law concerns, the answers to these questions will vary dramatically depending on the circumstances of the case. However, there are some situations in which a spouse may be ordered to vacate the family home.

Negotiating an Agreement With Your Spouse

The divorce process can last months or possibly years depending on the circumstances. If you are like most divorcing spouses, you probably do not want to continue living in the same home as your soon-to-be ex-spouse during the divorce proceedings. In this situation, the easiest solution is for you and your spouse to negotiate an agreement regarding who will stay in the family home during the divorce process and who will move out. You will also need to decide how to pay for the new accommodations. In some cases, these issues may have been resolved ahead of time through a prenuptial agreement or a postnuptial agreement. 

The division of assets is often one of the most complex aspects of a divorce case. Whether spouses negotiate their own property division agreement, or the court makes a decision on their behalf, a fair asset division arrangement can only be reached when both spouses are honest and forthcoming about their finances. However, spouses are not always as truthful as they should be. Some divorcing spouses may attempt to influence property distribution during divorce by withholding or falsifying information. If you are getting divorced, and you are worried that your spouse may lie about financial information in an attempt to avoid sharing these assets, an experienced divorce attorney can help you uncover this type of deception.

Start Preparing Now by Copying Financial Documents

You may be in the very beginning stages of the divorce process. Perhaps you have not yet even filed for divorce. However, it is never too soon to start preparing. One of the best things you can do to protect your right to a fair division of property is to educate yourself about your financial situation. Read over important financial documents so that you can have a full understanding of the assets that you and your spouse own. These documents will provide valuable insight into your family's finances, and they may also be crucial pieces of evidence in the event that your spouse attempts to conceal assets from you. It is important to make copies of:

If you are considering divorce, you may have several questions about how it will impact you and your spouse financially. If you share children with your spouse, it is likely that either you or your spouse will be required to make child support payments to the other. Child support allows a child to benefit from the financial support of both of his or her parents, even when the parents are not married or living together. Child support can be a major expense for the paying parent, and it also represents a major source of financial sustenance for the receiving parent. Whether you are the payor or recipient of child support, it is important to understand how child support payment amounts are calculated in Illinois.

Income Shares Guidelines

The way child support is calculated in Illinois underwent dramatic changes in 2017. Prior to the change, child support payment amounts were based only on the paying party’s income and the number of children needing support. This outdated calculation method was replaced by the Income Shares calculation model. This method takes both parents’ net incomes into consideration. With this method, a child support obligation will be determined based on the parents' combined income and the number of children they have together. This amount will represent what parents would be expected to spend to care for their children if they remained married. The support obligation will then be divided between the parents according to each parent's percentage of their combined income. Typically, the non-custodial parent who has the minority of the parenting time with the couple's children will pay his or her portion of the child support obligation to the custodial parent.

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) estimates that one in every four women and one in every nine men have suffered from intimate partner violence or stalking. Domestic violence includes physical abuse, such as hitting and kicking, as well as sexual abuse, psychological abuse, financial abuse, and more. If you are considering divorce, and your spouse has harmed you or used psychological manipulation to control you, you probably have many concerns. Divorcing an abusive or deceitful spouse is often more complex and emotionally taxing than a divorce not involving this type of mistreatment. Fortunately, you do not have to face the divorce process alone. If you are planning to leave an abusive spouse, a divorce attorney experienced in managing cases involving domestic violence can be an essential source of legal guidance and support.

Illinois Protective Orders

When any victim of domestic violence attempts to leave his or her abuser, the abuser may escalate his or her aggressive behavior. If you are worried that your spouse may try to harm you, your children, your pets, or your property, you may want to consider obtaining an order of protection. Also called restraining orders, protective orders are legally binding court orders that prohibit a person from contacting or coming within a certain distance of the person who requested the order, called the petitioner. An Emergency Order of Protection can be obtained based on the petitioner's testimony alone, and it will go into effect as soon as the judge approves it. If the subject of a protection order violates any of the directions contained in the order, he or she may face arrest and criminal consequences.

When a couple decides to divorce, there are a number of issues that the spouses must agree upon before the divorce can be finalized. The spouses will need to determine how the marital estate will be divided, whether or not the lesser earning spouse will receive spousal maintenance (alimony), and how issues related to the allocation of parental responsibility (child custody) and child support will be handled. It can be very hard for divorcing spouses to reach an agreement about these and other terms of the divorce without help. One way that many divorcing couples are able to resolve divorce-related disagreements without the need for court litigation is through mediation.

How Does Mediation Help?

Divorcing spouses may be required to attend family law mediation by the court, or the couple may decide to attend mediation voluntarily. During this process, the spouses meet with a specially trained mediator who helps them identify the unresolved divorce issues, facilitates productive negotiation about these issues, and works with the spouses to find mutually agreeable resolutions. Spouses who reach an agreement about divorce issues through mediation are much more likely to comply with the terms of their final divorce decree than spouses who are subject to divorce terms determined by the court. Furthermore, mediation is much less antagonistic than litigation. Divorcing spouses who share children together often find mediation to be especially useful, because it encourages an amicable co-parenting relationship in the future.

Illinois courts make all child-related decisions based on the child’s best interests. Unfortunately, it is sometimes in a child’s best interest not to spend time with one of his or her parents. If a mother or a father cannot adequately protect a child’s safety or provide for the child’s basic needs, that parent may be declared an “unfit” parent. This means that the court may place restrictions on some or all of the parental rights, including parenting time. If you have reason to believe that parental fitness may be a consideration in your child-related legal dispute, speak to an experienced divorce attorney to receive the personalized guidance you need for a favorable outcome.

Establishing Parental Fitness

The question of parental fitness is often brought up during child custody disputes. If evidence shows that a parent is unfit, he or she may no longer be permitted to share in decision-making responsibility for the child, and restrictions may be placed on his or her parenting time. A range of issues can bring a parent’s fitness into question, but courts typically consider a parent to be unfit if one or more of the following elements are present:

The Holmes-Rahe Life Stress Inventory lists divorce as the second-most stressful experience a person can endure. You may be surprised to learn that according to the inventory, the end of a marriage is considered to be more stressful than being fired from your job, the death of a close friend, and even experiencing a major injury or illness. If you are considering divorce, you know just how mentally taxing it can be. Fortunately, many people are able to build a post-divorce life that is much happier and more serene than they could have imagined. Because the divorce process can be so trying, it is essential that you make your mental well-being a priority during this time. The following tips can help you address the difficulties you may experience during your divorce.

Allow Yourself to Grieve the End of Your Marriage 

Some people assume that if they are the party who initiated the divorce, then they have no reason to be sad about the end of their marriage. This is simply not true. It is completely normal to feel sad and disappointed about your divorce -- even if the split was your idea. You may have had hopes and dreams of what you wanted your marriage to be, and you may be deeply upset that you were unable to meet these expectations. Regardless of why your marriage is ending, give yourself time to grieve this loss, and do your best to avoid bottling up your emotions. Many mental health experts suggest that writing your feelings down in a journal can help you work through these emotions and heal.