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Working Women & Divorce
Child support
For many mothers, getting child support established during a divorce or separation is important for maintaining stability in the home.
Complex property division
To help you protect your property and your best interests during a divorce, our attorneys are prepared to advocate for you.
Custody, visitation & parental responsibilities
When mothers file for divorce, child custody issues are a top concern. Our lawyers focus on and advocate for mothers’ rights.
Custody without Marriage
Whatever the circumstance, parental responsibilities can still be allocated, and both parents can share important decision-making responsibilities and parenting time.
Dissolution of long term marriage
After years or sometimes decades of marriage, elements of a divorce, such as the division of marital property, can become quite complicated.
Divorce
Most people are unfamiliar with the divorce process. We will help you create & execute a plan to manage the difficulties that come with ending a marriage.
Divorce for business owners
Working with an experienced attorney who can help you to ensure that a business valuation occurs in a fair and accurate matter is essential.
Domestic Violence
We provide the caring, compassionate service you need while using our legal knowledge and experience to bring perpetrators to justice.
Working Women & Divorce Lawyers in Chicago
Decades ago, it was not as common for married women and mothers to work outside the home as it is today. However, the difference between women’s participation in the workforce between the mid-20th century and today is smaller than most probably imagine: in 1950, women comprised 29.6 percent of the civilian workforce. In 2020, they were 47 percent of the workforce.
When a couple divorces, their assets must be divided equitably. Each partner’s career choices and contributions to the household are considered when determining how to divide them. Both partners’ career status and needs are also considered in determinations of child support and parenting plans.
Career Choices and Spousal Maintenance
Spousal maintenance is meant to protect the lesser-earning spouse from financial hardship following the couple’s divorce. If one spouse opts to stay home or work part-time to devote themselves to the couple’s family, that spouse may seek spousal maintenance in their divorce.
It is rare, but not impossible, for permanent maintenance to be awarded. More often, the court determines what the lesser-earning spouse realistically needs in terms of time and support to prepare to reenter the workforce and become self-sustaining. Maintenance is then paid to that spouse for a limited period of time, after which they are expected to support themselves.
Working Women and Parenting Plans
Despite advances in economic equality between the sexes, women are still more likely to leave the workforce or delay their career advancement by taking less strenuous work in order to stay home with their children. When a divorcing couple has children, each parent’s availability to the children is considered when developing their parenting plan.
If the mother is the parent whose schedule makes it easier for her to be with the children after school and handle their day-to-day needs, the court may determine that living primarily with her is in the children’s best interest.
Financial Needs and Realities and How they Work into a Couple’s Property Division Settlement
Many different factors are considered when dividing a couple’s marital assets, and some of these factors relate to each partner’s career. These include:
- Each partner’s income and future earning capacity;
- Each partner’s separate assets, such as investments made before entering the marriage;
- Each partner’s interest in a small business or a professional practice; and
- Each partner’s financial and noneconomic contributions to the household.
Work with an Experienced Illinois Divorce Lawyer
Few of us have the luxury of choosing whether to work or not. For those of us who do have that luxury, and even those who have to work to earn a living but have some flexibility in terms of how much we can work and when, the choices we make regarding our careers can be critical factors that come into play during our divorces. To learn more, schedule your consultation with one of the experienced divorce lawyers at Women’s Divorce & Family Law Group today.
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