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Parents who divorce often worry about their children’s well being throughout the process and after the family is split up. It is undoubtedly a challenging time for children and their parents. A new article suggests that one of the things parents should add to their list of concerns when they divorce is whether their child will struggle with excessive weight gain.
Children’s Weight Gain after Divorce
New research is suggesting that children of divorced parents often struggle with weight gain when their parents part ways. A study was done of 3,000 kids in Norway in the third grade, which found that boys were especially prone to weight gain in connection with their parents’ divorce. the study found that boys of divorced parents had a 63 percent higher chance of being classified as either obese or overweight than boys whose parents were married. The same group was found to have a 104 percent higher chance of being abdominally obese.
Whether you and your spouse have discussed the possibility of divorce, you know your marriage is in disarray, or you have simply made the decision to end your marriage on your own, there are certain steps you should take prior to filing for divorce. Heeding this advice may not only serve to protect your interests down the road, but may also make the divorce process much smoother and easier to endure. Read on for some important first steps to take before heading to the courthouse.
Things to Do Before You Divorce
The time a couple spends engaged before their wedding ceremony is a special period of their relationship. Many discussions center around wedding planning, their love for one another, and their future plans. One conversation topic though that may be less popular is the sobering reality of finances. Even though a discussion about financial matters may not be as appealing as others during an engagement, it is an important one to have. A recent article gave engaged persons some advice on what questions to ask their future spouse when it comes to money matters.
10 Questions to Ask while Engaged
What is your credit score? This is an important piece of financial information since both of your credit scores may affect your ability to start a family, purchase a home, or buy a car. It is best to know what to expect going into your marriage and not after you have applied for a loan.
An article recently published by The Windy City Times discussed same-sex couples being legally allowed to marry across the state of Illinois. Beginning on June 1st, the state’s Religious Freedom and Marriage Equality Act took effect across the state, giving same-sex couples the right to marry and enjoy all of the same rights and privileges as married heterosexual couples. A number of counties had allowed same-sex couples to procure marriage licenses for the past several months in advance of the law taking effect, in light of a federal ruling in February that the state’s ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. Other counties decided to wait until the law went into effect this month to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
The breakdown of a couple’s marriage is usually a difficult experience to endure. Divorce can involve a total lifestyle change for those involved, not to mention the many feelings and emotions that it can bring up. A recent article suggests ways to cope with the unsettling and painful feelings that often accompany divorce.
Moving on After Divorce
One thing that most people probably agree on is that divorce is often hurtful, no matter the reasons or circumstances surrounding it. Divorce not only causes feelings of loss and disappointment, but also brings with it a disruption of routine and other relationships, as well as uncertainty about the future.
The good news is that many people move on from divorce and successfully recover; it just takes some time. It is normal to experience different feelings and to be less than your usual self for a certain amount of time following a divorce. In addition to seeking the companionship of friends and family during this time, the following tips may be beneficial in coping with a divorce:
Many people are probably familiar with divorce terms like “no-fault” and “uncontested,” but may not be sure how these legal phrases interrelate and what they mean for practical purposes. Read on for an overview of Illinois divorce law, and a breakdown of these and other familiar terms.
Grounds or No Grounds?
Initially, when making the decision to divorce and end a marriage, the reason for the divorce must be included in the legal pleadings. Spouses either have grounds for the divorce, or they may wish to divorce based irreconcilable differences (no grounds). Grounds are considered reasons for the divorce, while irreconcilable differences indicate the couple cannot point to any accepted grounds, or reasons, for divorce.Grounds for divorce include:
In the past, conservative views about what constituted appropriate action on behalf of a couple prior to getting married dominated public opinion. Everything from living together to premarital sex was frowned upon. While some people may still hold these views to some extent, there has definitely been a shift in what couples are doing before getting married these days, and a new study says it’s not nearly as bad as many previously thought.
Cohabitation Before Marriage
A recently published article discussed not only the prevalence of cohabitation before marriage, but whether it has any real effect on the success of the marriage once it occurs. Over the last five decades, it is estimated that the rate of couples who live together before getting married has increased by about 900 percent. Two-thirds of marriages that occur today are between couples who have already lived together for 31 months, on average. Previous studies indicated that couples who lived together before marriage were 33 percent more likely to divorce than their counterparts who waited to live together until after the marriage ceremony took place.
While a divorce decree may signal the end of the road for you and your ex-spouse as a couple, you will still remain in each other’s lives if there are children involved. Just because the marriage has been dissolved does not relieve either party of their parenting responsibility. Like it or not, there will still be shared parenting responsibilities with an ex-spouse and it is in the children’s best interest for their parents to work together amicably and efficiently.
Tips for Co-Parenting with an Ex-Spouse
It may be a challenge for parents to put personal issues and feelings aside to form a cordial relationship with their ex-spouse for the benefit of their shared children. However, divorced parents should look at this as a new start and always put their children’s need before their own.
An article suggests the following tips on co-parenting successfully for newly divorced parents:
The adoption process is different for almost everyone, parents and children included. While some adoptees may never wish to find out more information regarding their birth parents, others are eager to connect on some level with their biological family. As a recent news article reported, the Illinois law giving adoptees the right to view their birth records makes all the difference to the latter group.
Illinois Law
Several years ago, Illinois law changed to give adopted persons the right to view birth records including their birth certificates, documents that were previously unavailable to them, since they were sealed in connection with adoption proceedings. Those adoptees are voicing their appreciation for the law change this week in Springfield. Their appearance also serves another purpose: to encourage states who have not changed their laws in viewing such documents to do so. Many plan on telling their stories at the state capitol.
Any couple that decides to divorce will have financial considerations to take into account, but issues surrounding divorce finances may affect those couples who divorce later in life the most. Ending a marriage after the age of 50 can have its own set of issues to address when it comes to preserving financial security. Often, couples of that age have investments, savings, accumulated assets, and retirement accounts to sort through.
Questions to Ask
Many older couples in this situation may need to take actions that they would not have had to if they remained married, such as going back to work or selling their home. However, there are steps these individuals can take to minimize the the financial effect their divorce will have. According to a financial advice article recently published, there are certain questions divorcees can ask before, during, and after a divorce proceeding to ensure financial security.
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