Infidelity is a common cause of marital stress and can contribute to the decision to end a marriage through divorce. Of course, affairs do not always involve secret meetings in hotel rooms or even any physical contact at all. Emotional affairs, meaning infidelity without a sexual or physical component, can develop when married spouses form close, intimate relationships with others outside of their marriage. It can be extremely difficult to determine when a friendship becomes an emotional affair. It is up to every married couple to make their own boundaries and decisions regarding what behavior constitutes infidelity. That being said, emotional infidelity often escalates into a full-blown affair. Many marriages have met “the beginning of the end” due to emotional affairs.

Deceit is Often the First Sign of an Emotional Affair

With the proliferation of social networking websites like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter it is easier than ever to connect with others. Twenty years ago, when high school sweethearts split up, they would generally only meet again if they happened to stay in their hometown. Today, most of us stay in constant digital connection with friends and ex-lovers from our past. It can be hard to know when a friendship becomes too friendly for a married person. One telltale sign that a relationship is bordering on an affair is when a spouse starts to hide information about the relationship from his or her spouse. If your significant other has a relationship with a person whom they are very secretive about, this could be a red flag that an emotional affair is evolving.

You may realize that divorce is technically a lawsuit that results in the end of a legal marriage. You may also know that in order to file a lawsuit, you must have a cause for legal action. In a car accident case, for example, property damage or bodily injury gives a person cause to file suit against the liable party. From the standpoint of the law, a divorce is no different. So, what are the causes that give a person the ability to file a petition for divorce? Causes of action in divorce proceedings are known as grounds, and the number of possible divorce grounds might surprise you.

Irreconcilable Differences

Since changes to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act went into effect in 2016, there is exactly one cause of action for a divorce in Illinois. All divorces in the state are now granted on the grounds of irreconcilable differences. More specifically, the court may only grant a divorce if that “irreconcilable differences have caused the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage.” In addition, the court must also find that efforts at saving the marriage would be “impracticable and not in the best interests of the family.

Many individuals have heard of a prenuptial agreement, but many couples are unaware of an arrangement known as a postnuptial agreement.

Postnuptial agreements are written and signed after you are married. A postnuptial agreement is a way for couples to look over their financial, family, and economic situation without the awkward pre-marital conversation that many recently engaged couples fear having. A postnuptial agreement provides an avenue in which to establish ownership of financial obligations and goals and how the couple will share the burden in the event of a death or divorce.

A postnuptial agreement can be a way of addressing concerns a couple may have once they are married. It helps the couple establish a concrete framework to divvy up the mortgage, savings, business, and household expenses. For example, if one spouse is burdened with heavy student loan or business debt, while simultaneously juggling a mortgage, a postnuptial agreement can create confidence in the marriage by entrenching a financial agreement.