Year: 2022

In many states, including Illinois, divorcing couples with children are required by law to attend divorce mediation in an attempt to come to custody, financial and other child-related agreements. Some couples are able to find success by mediating, and all that’s left to do is for their attorneys to draw up an official agreement and submit it to the courts. However, while the process works for some divorcing couples, it is not uncommon for no settlement at mediation, and at that point, they begin the litigation process.

Possible Reasons for No Settlement at Mediation

In my experience, there are a multitude of reasons why mediation may result in no settlement.  Here are 3:

1. Emotions and Egos of the Parents:

Nobody gets divorced because everything in their family life is going as they had planned, hoped or wanted.  That’s why divorce mediation is often highly emotional, and can be fueled

Anger during divorce is completely normal and understandable.  I think it is healthy to live those emotions–to feel them. Actually, I think it’s unhealthy if a person getting divorced doesn’t have anger. Most people who have been through a divorce have anger. They are furious at the ex, resentful, and bitter, at times. But, eventually those feelings fade and people move on. That said, a lot of people ask, “How do you stop being angry about divorce?”

The answer to this question is complicated because every divorce situation is unique, and everyone has his or her own timetable and range and variety of emotions to process and handle.

So, I will try to answer based on my own experience, and on the hundreds of divorce stories I’ve heard (and written about.) When I got divorced several years ago, I was angry. Really angry. I was angry with myself, angry with

We all know how complicated dating can be, especially in the age of technology. It seems like everyone is always on their phone and it’s tough to connect with someone and build a relationship. That leads us to dating rules. They help you stay on track and protect you from people who might not have your best interests at heart. When you follow the dating rules, it becomes much easier to find a partner.

Your dating rules should be personal to you and what you want out of a relationship. These guidelines will assist you in weeding out one-sided or toxic relationships so that you don’t waste your time on them. Remember that the rules you find most difficult to follow are often the most important, so don’t ignore them just because they’re tough. 

Install Trusted Dating Apps on Your Phone

If you’re single, installing a trusted dating app

Loneliness might be the most painful emotion a person can have. It can feel empty and scary and sad and unfair. Being lonely can make a person feel sorry for him or herself. It can make a person feel angry, like “Why me?” It can make someone feel unworthy of love, or like maybe they shouldn’t have gotten divorced. But however you are feeling about loneliness, it’s really, really hard. I want to talk specifically about loneliness after divorce.

A lot of people getting divorced and feeling loneliness after divorce ask, “Will I survive?” My answer is 100% absolutely yes!!

Before I get into how, I want to talk about loneliness, in general. A lot of people going through a divorce look at their married friends and think, ‘I wish I had a marriage like hers,’ or ‘How are they able to make things work and I couldn’t?’

Here’s how

Here are excerpts from an email I received from a single mom who writes, “I was cheated on.” The woman dated this guy for 8 years. Seven months ago, she found out he cheated on her for the last year of their relationship, basically living two lives. He ended up choosing to be with the other woman.

I asked him 5 times over the last year if he was seeing anyone else and he said no. 

It’s been almost 7 months and every day I wake up with a punch in my stomach.  When will this ever end?  The feeling of worthlessness I have is overwhelming.  He and I were together for 8 years and for him to treat me so poorly the last year of our relationship has made me feel worthless. 

He knew I trusted him completely and he looked in my eyes and lied and knew I

Divorce is one of the most devastating things you can go through, not just emotionally but financially, as well. Many women come out of the process with a financial situation that seems disastrous.  Part of the reason is because the divorce process is so expensive, but part of it is because they are often left having to pay bills with less money than they had before. That said, I promise there is hope. In this article, I want to offer you 8 money management tips to help you feel less stressed and more optimistic about your financial situation.

8 Money Management Tips for after the divorce

1. Figure out what you have.

If your divorce just wrapped up, you’re probably intimately aware of what you have when it comes to money. Now is the time to make a list of all the bank accounts, credit cards, investment accounts, retirement accounts,

I remember my first Thanksgiving after divorce 15 years ago. What a mess I was, visiting my family with my two toddlers, feeling sad, scared, embarrassed, angry and so many more emotions. I had gotten separated in August, so everything was still new, feelings were raw, and I was feeling anxiety about the actual divorce process which was impending. All that said, I remember feeling thankful for my family, and I did have a pretty good time.

But what if this is your first Thanksgiving after divorce and you don’t have plans? What if your kids are with your ex this year and you are home alone? What if you have to go to a party by yourself and you don’t even know how to act or what to say to people who ask, “Where’s So and So?” What if you have your kids and they start crying because they

Jackie, my husband of 11 years (and father of my two kids) has been drinking much more than he used to. In fact, he now drinks at least a 6 pack of beer every night, or sometimes a bottle of wine. I keep finding empty booze bottles around, and our trash can looks like we just had a party. I asked him if he’d try to drink less, because it is expensive, he is gaining weight, and it’s not healthy. He yelled at me and told me it was none of my business. I’m worried. Is my spouse an alcoholic?

This is a difficult question to answer. Picture this. You’re out at a bar where everyone is drinking and seems to be having fun, many people even tipsy. If someone told you there were three people in the crowd who are diagnosed alcoholics, could you step back, look around, and