Student loans are common for anyone with a higher education. Since many people have high amounts of student loan debt that takes them decades to pay off, the issue of student loan debt often arises in the divorce process. If you are going through a divorce, you may be wondering how student loan debt will be divided and whether it will remain with the spouse who incurred it.

The truth is student loan debt is treated just like any other debt in a divorce. Therefore, if the debt was incurred before you got married, it is “separate” and becomes the responsibility of the spouse who borrowed the money. 

However, if the student loan debt was incurred during your marriage, it is known as marital debt like a mortgage, car loan, credit card debt, and personal loan. In the event your student loan debt is marital debt, you and your spouse will likely both have repay it.

Often times, couples cannot reach a complete agreement regarding their divorce but would like to avoid filing for a contested divorce. When this occurs, seeking mediation can help them reach an agreement and lessen the burden of the divorce process. 

Mediation involves a couple working with a neutral third party mediator to discuss and resolve divorce-related issues. If you and your spouse are unable to reach a divorce agreement, you should consider mediation in order to reap the following five benefits.

1. Greater Privacy. By choosing mediation, you will be able to work out all of your divorce-related issues behind closed doors instead of in an open courtroom. If you would like to make sure your conversations and negotiations are private, seeking mediation is a good idea because anything that is said during mediation cannot be repeated in court. 
2. Faster Resolution. With mediation, you can focus on reaching an agreement on matters related to parenting time and division of assets at a pace that you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse decide on. You can schedule appointments with the mediator at times that are convenient for both of you rather than having to consider the judge’s calendar. 
3. Improved Co-Parenting. Since mediation promotes cooperation and compromise, it can help you and your ex-spouse become better co-parents. In addition, mediation will allow for a less stressful divorce and give you both the opportunity to focus on the best interests of your children. 
4. Lasting Decisions. Research has shown that couples who use divorce mediation to come to an agreement are more willing to honor their decisions than those who have to abide by court-mandated decisions. Working together to create an agreement for the future can also help spouses form a positive relationship that will improve their lives as well as the lives of their children after the divorce.
5. Money Savings. Divorce can become expensive very quickly. The good news is that mediation can help a couple save money on their own court and attorney fees by expediting the process. If you opt for mediation, you can share the cost of it with your spouse.

Consult Our DuPage County Divorce Attorneys 

The Illinois General Assembly passed House Bill 2537,  which will alter the way spousal maintenance payments work in Illinois. According to the existing law, which went into effect in 2015, several factors should be used in order to determine whether maintenance is appropriate. 

In the event that maintenance is appropriate, the court will use statutory formulas to figure out how much maintenance will be awarded and the duration of the payments. Let us take a closer look at how the Illinois spousal maintenance law will change when it goes into effect in 2018.

Raised Income Threshold

The way you spend your parenting time when your child is a toddler will be far different than when your child is a teenager. Since parenting time changes with different ages, it is important to understand how to make the best use of your time throughout every stage of your child’s life. Let’s take a closer look at how you can expect to spend your parenting time when your child is a toddler, in elementary school, and teenager.

Toddler

When your child is young, your parenting time may be spent teaching them how to speak and read. You may consider reading, playing educational games, or taking them to activities that allow them to socialize and meet other children. By doing so, you will prepare them for kindergarten. 

When you are going through a divorce, the last thing you need is your future ex-spouse stalking you. Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence and can add stress and even more discomfort to the divorce process. If you believe your future ex-spouse is stalking you during your divorce, read on.

What is Stalking?

A pattern of behavior that makes you feel nervous, scared, harassed, or in danger is defined as stalking. Your future ex-spouse may be stalking you if they are: