When it comes to fathers’ rights, paternity is the building block upon which all other parenting decisions are made with regards to child custody. Proving that you are or are not the father of the child can make a world of painful difference, be it emotional when you realize you may no longer be entitled to parenting time or financial when a court rules that you must pay child support for a child being raised by another man. Depending on your situation, you might want to consider legal action.   

What to Do if the Divorce Proceedings Uncover Paternity Issues

If somehow during your divorce, your wife says the child you have cared for during the marriage over the last several years — the same one you cradled to bed as a baby, took to the park as a toddler, and brought to the movies as a schoolchild — is not actually yours, you will need to make the proper legal arrangements and begin developing a winning strategy to protect your rights as a father. In particular, consider the following:

How was the paternity originally established? In Illinois, there are only four possible ways to establish paternity:

Divorce is labeled as one of the most difficult life experiences one can go through. Some even compare the emotions of divorce to those that come from losing a loved one to death. A scientific journal entitled Psychological Science published a study about which personality trait best enables people to successfully survive a divorce. According to the study, the trait that makes people most resilient after a divorce is referred to as “self-compassion.” Whether or not this trait comes naturally to you, there are a few ways that you can practice self-compassion when it comes to your divorce. 

Taking Time to Heal

Self-compassion is exactly what it sounds like: being good to yourself. However, this does not mean materialistically treating yourself. Instead, self-compassion has more to do with your philosophy and approach toward daily life, especially after the divorce. Here are ways to build this self-compassion and allow yourself to bounce back from your divorce:

With U.S. unemployment numbers reaching historic highs over the last several months, many Illinois residents are finding themselves incapable of paying their child support and spousal support. Unfortunately, despite these extenuating circumstances and even if you are unemployed, you are still required to make these payments. Here are the consequences of failure to pay and what you can do if you know you will be unable to pay your spousal maintenance or child support by their due date.

What Happens If You Do Not Pay Child Support or Spousal Support?

If you neglect to pay the child support or spousal maintenance payments ordered by the court in your divorce decree, any or all of the following could happen:

The Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts determined that nearly a fourth of all marriages end in divorce due to financial issues — that represents the third most common cause of divorce. With an economic recession upon us and no certain end in sight, the money problems that many married couples usually face are bound to be further exacerbated. Luckily, there are various ways that one can keep their financial concerns from becoming an issue in their marriage.

Open Communication from the Start

Whether it be done before the marriage, by creating a prenuptial agreement, or early in the marriage, by being upfront and honest about financial concerns, open communication can go a long way toward keeping marital finances in check. Couples should avoid making the following mistakes in order to keep this communication present:

• Hiding debts or assets before, during, or after marriage.

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While the major story with regards to divorce statistics in recent years is the fact that in most age segments, especially the Millennial Generation, divorce rates are on the decline (which should not be that much of a surprise given that marriage rates are also on the decline for this age group). But possibly an even more interesting and multifaceted development is the huge spike in gray divorces, or divorces for those over the age of 50, many of which can be very complex divorces due to the large variety and amounts of assets, properties, and debts amassed through the years. Here are some of the reasons for the increase in gray divorces.

5 Primary Reasons for the Increase in Gray Divorces

Over the last two decades, there have been twice as many gray divorces as there were in the past. This doubling of gray divorce rates suggests a trend. Here are some of the most common reasons that so many people over the age of 50 are getting divorced:

1. Less Stigma—These older generations have seen a dramatic shift in the way divorce is viewed by both society and religious organizations. Whereas in prior decades, divorce might have branded you as an outcast or someone who did not have the fortitude or fidelity to “make it work” in regards to your marriage. These days, you will probably hear someone say, “Good for them,” upon hearing of a couple’s divorce. That is because overall, everyone is much more accepting of divorce, especially due to the many negative consequences of failing marriages.

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