When thinking about divorce, it would be fair to assume that matters such as child support and property division are settled in the court room with the representation of attorneys. However, this doesn't have to be the case. In fact, most couples tend to settle their divorce outside of the court.

Familiarizing yourself with what uncontested divorce means is certainly worth contemplation, as it might just be the best option for you.

What is an uncontested divorce?

An uncontested divorce means that both parties have agreed that divorce is the best option. Moreover, couples will have agreed upon key issues that must be settled before the divorce can be finalized.

El proceso del divorcio es doloroso y complicado, pero siempre hay una razón detrás de esa decisión. Quedarse en una relación tóxica sólo empeoraría la situación, por lo que usted no debe ver el divorcio como algo de lo que hay que avergonzarse. De hecho, hay varias ventajas de divorciarse cuando uno ya no está contento en su matrimonio.

Regreso de actividades y amistades

Un matrimonio puede hacer que una persona ponga un alto a las actividades que disfruta por priorizar el tiempo con su pareja. Lo mismo sucede con amistades que uno de los esposos deja porque la relación le causa un conflicto al otro. Al divorciarse, usted puede retomar aquellos pasatiempos que ama sin tener que preocuparse por lo que piense su expareja sobre ello. Asimismo, puede volver a conectar con amistades que dejó de frecuentar por falta de tiempo o desapruebo de su ex.

Nuevas metas

Cuando uno está casado, todas las decisiones que se toman se hacen con la otra pareja en mente. Los matrimonios siempre requieren sacrificios, por lo que cuando uno se divorcia, la persona puede imponerse nuevas metas (en inglés) sin tener que considerar la opinión del otro al respecto. Por ello, ahora que usted está divorciado, puede perseguir esos sueños que quería alcanzar antes del matrimonio, pero que dejó atrás por su circunstancia.

The decision to get divorced is never easy to make. You may no longer feel comfortable in your marriage. Still, you see some good things in your spouse and don't want to risk losing them just because you are unhappy at the moment. This feeling is normal, and it is okay to feel confused. However, if you are thinking about it nonstop, you will need to decide sooner or later. To make an objective decision, there are some steps you can take.

Be honest with yourself

It is easy to think that a person is the source of our unhappiness, but this is rarely the case. If you have problems of your own, divorcing your spouse will not take them away. Maybe things don't feel right in your marriage because you don't feel good about other areas of your life. To clear your mind, you could go to a therapist and talk to them about your feelings. An experienced therapist can help you put your ideas in order so that you can identify if your dissatisfaction comes from your marriage.

Check your priorities

Think about what are the most important things to you. Write down your priorities on a list and divide them into four categories: emotional, financial, physical and spiritual. Take your time to do this, and when you finish, scrutinize this list. Think about how your spouse adds, or subtracts, value to your priorities. This will help you determine whether they fulfill what you consider of most importance, rather than what others (like your family or friends) consider as such.

When you divorce, you have to split up parental responsibilities and your shared property with your ex. There is one aspect of your divorce where those two issues overlap, and that is when you have a pet or companion animal in your family.

For years, Illinois, along with the rest of the country, simply treated animals like property. No matter how much you cared for your pet, the judge would only consider their financial value in a divorce and would give them to one spouse or the other.

However, now, Illinois is one of a very few states in the country where you can potentially share custody of your pet with your ex-spouse after a divorce.

You have to meet certain requirements to file for divorce in Illinois. One of them is that you have to live separately from your spouse for at least six months. The courts can waive that requirement in some situations, such as when both spouses agree.

Many people find the requirement to live separately before they file for divorce confusing. They think that they have to file for a legal separation before they can file for a divorce. Is that truly the case for divorcing couples in Illinois?

A legal separation is not the same thing as living separately

Living separately simply means that you no longer live as husband and wife. Separating means establishing separate households after living jointly, often by one spouse moving out of the marital home into their own place. You may separate by merely keeping separate rooms in the same house if you cannot afford separate domiciles.