RSSMay, 2013 - Chicago Illinois Family Law Blog Archive
Recent Years Bring a Boom in Gray Divorce
The recent high-profile divorces of Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger and Al and Tipper Gore may have been part of a trend – a boom in gray divorce. As reported in The Los Angeles Times, baby boomers are at it again. They were responsible for the increase in the rate of divorce that started during the 1970s and increased during the 1980s. In our parents’ generation, divorce was rare among seniors. In fact, as recently as 1990, less than 10 percent of those getting a divorce were age 50 or older. Today, 25 percent of people in this age group are filing for divorce.
How has the meaning of marriage changed to produce such an increase in the number of gray divorces? Today, different factors affect marriage and the outlook of husbands and wives.
Paid Maternity and Paternity Leave Doubled by Yahoo
Yahoo is doubling maternity and paternity leave pay to help attract talented employees. According to The Huffington Post, Yahoo has announced that the company is doing so to help smooth the transition into parenting for new-parent employees. New fathers can take eight weeks of paid paternity leave, and new mothers now can take as many as 16 weeks of paid maternity leave. That number of weeks doubles the previous number of weeks permitted. In addition, NBC Bay Area reports that all new parents will receive a $500.00 bonus.
To some the announcement might look like Yahoo is attempting to make amends to its employees for the action taken by CEO Marissa Mayer banning employees from doing their work from home. That decision made many working parent employees angry. Instead, the move is likely Yahoo’s attempt to offer benefits more in tune with other Silicon Valley employers so as to attract more talented employees. Mayer is a new mother herself, so perhaps the decision to double maternity and paternity leave is partly empathetic. Since Mayer became CEO, employees have also been provided free meals and new smart phones.
Illinois Governor Calls on House to Send Him Same Sex-Marriage Bill
Illinois lawmakers have had plenty of time to make a decision, according to Governor Pat Quinn. As reported by The Chicago Tribune, the Illinois governor has called on the House to send to his desk legislation establishing marriage equality in the state.
The measure was passed by the Illinois Senate months ago on Valentine’s Day. Governor Quinn sent the message to the House of Representatives to get moving. He said passage of the bill would send a message to the entire nation that citizens in Illinois believe in marriage equality.
Illinois Visitation Rights — Modification of a Parenting Order
After a divorce, one parent is typically designated as the primary residential parent of the children, for purposes such as school district selection and mailing address. This is the parent with whom the children spend the majority of their time. That parent is from that time forward referred to as the “custodial parent.” “Visitation” rights, or the right to spend parenting time with the children, are then granted to the “noncustodial” parent, unless there are reasons for denying or supervising parenting time.
Rhode Island Becomes 10th State to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage
Lawmakers in Rhode Island have given final approval to a bill making same-sex marriages legal. As reported by Reuters, the Rhode Island House approved the Senate’s amended same-sex marriage bill on May 2 and the bill was signed into law by Governor Lincoln Chafee, an independent, almost immediately after the House vote on Thursday.
Governor Chafee joined Rhode Islanders United for Marriage, Rhode Island’s principal gay rights organization in Providence for a victory party. Chafee said that he was proud of Rhode Islanders who have been fighting on behalf of freedom, tolerance, and equality for decades.
Tips for Talking with Children about a Divorce
During the difficult, emotional period of going through a divorce, children often become confused and frightened. They see divorce as a threat to their security. According to “Facts for Families,” an information sheet prepared and distributed by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), divorce is a time when, although parents may be concerned about their own problems and priorities, they are still the most important people in their children’s lives. It is the responsibility of the parents to explain to their children what is happening, how they may be involved or not involved, and how the divorce will change their future.
Children may erroneously believe that they are the cause of problems between their parents which led up to the divorce. They may even take on the burden of responsibility for restoring normalcy and reuniting their parents. It is necessary during a divorce to capitalize on the family’s strength. Children must be reassured that they are not losing one or both parents through divorce.
Marriage Equality Supported by Star of “The Amazing Spider-Man”
Actor Andrew Garfield, star of last year’s “The Amazing Spider-Man,” has told The Times of London that he is in favor of the right of same-sex couples to marry.
Courtesy of The Huffington Post, Garfield told The Times that there can be no argument against equality. Same-sex couples should have the same rights as anyone else. How could anyone argue against understanding and compassion? Garfield is in favor of marriage equality, an important national issue in a Supreme Court debate, as well as an Illinois issue still under consideration in the Illinois legislature.
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