Bloomington Divorce Blog

Any standard child custody case in Bloomington can be rife with complexities. Throw in the matter of jurisdiction, and a matter can suddenly become a case study in reviewing legal precedents. One can only imagine how much more complicated a case can become when questions of jurisdiction (or even "home state" affiliation) cross international boundaries. Suddenly, what may have been a case of a parent simply taking their children back to their home countries can become an international abduction that requires not only the collaboration of international legal teams, but also that of government officials. 

An Ohio-area mother bringing her newborn home shortly after her birth has touched off just such a case. The woman had the child with her then-husband in Italy. Yet troubles in their marriages prompted her to return home. The baby's father responded to her move by saying that his daughter had been abducted. Lower court rulings in Ohio upheld his claim, saying that given that the girl was born in Italy, that country was her habitual residence, and she therefore must be returned there. The mother is planning on taking her case to the U.S. Supreme Court, relying on a defense that in cases where a child has not had time to establish a habitual residence, the area that should be considered as such should be decided on by the parents. 

Divorcing couples often feel anxious about many aspects of their upcoming separation, not the least of which is the drain the divorce will put on their pocketbooks. This is why a number of Illinois couples will look for cheaper alternatives than going to court, with divorce mediation considered one of those less expensive routes. Here are some reasons why mediation does not cost as much as litigious divorces.

Money Crashers points out that, per Mediate.com, a typical divorce that goes through the court system will cost an average amount of $15,000. An average divorce that goes through mediation, by contrast, runs up a typical charge of just $3,000. The reduction in costs is due to a variety of factors, including the simplification of the mediation process as compared to a court trial and the reduced cost of mediation services as opposed to legal representation in court.

Illinois residents who have made the hard choice to get divorced must wrestle with many challenging steps through the process of reaching a final settlement. For families with children, certainly determining when each parent will have time with the kids may be one of the hardest elements of a divorce. When it comes time to focus on financial matters and how to split assets, emotions may run high as well especially when the topic of how to split debt arises.

Money Management International explains that if a particular debt is in one spouse's name only, that debt main remain the sole responsibility of that person. Any debts with both spouses listed, however, may need to be split just like assets. A mortgage or credit card account are two common examples of joint debts.

If asked, most divorced parents in Bloomington might say that they have no issue with paying child support. Even if they happen to harbor resentment towards their ex-spouses, they may understand that their child support payments are not meant for their ex-spouses' benefit, but rather to assist their children. Sadly, disputes between former spouses may ultimately lead to accusations of one withholding child support as a form of punishment. 

That is the accusation being made by the wife of singer R. Kelly. She claims that he has intentionally withheld this $20,000 per-month child support payment as a way of getting back at her. All told, Kelly allegedly owes almost $200,000 in child support arrears. He recently spent three days in a Cook County jail as a result of the missed payments after a judge ordered his arrest following him missing a scheduled payment deadline.