Tips for Living With Your Spouse During an Illinois Divorce

 Posted on July 07, 2020 in Illinois Divorce

Many struggles have accompanied the COVID 19 health crisis. Whether it be limited access to food, job loss, reduction of income, or isolation, it is safe to say that the past several months have been a hard time for everyone. However, if you are living with your soon-to-be ex-spouse, it can be even more difficult. If the pandemic hit right when you were thinking about getting a divorce, it could be that plans to legally end your marriage have been put on hold for various reasons.

Navigating the Proceedings Together

If you and your spouse are on OK terms, living with one another during the divorce proceedings can be a rather amicable experience. Since going through this pandemic can be a bit stressful, and perhaps isolating, it may be nice to have someone there for the company. But if that is not the case for you, it can be frustrating to cohabitate with someone you do not get along with.

To maintain your mental and emotional health during the transitional period, here are some practical tips that may help you survive this tumultuous time:

• Create Separate Spaces: This is such an important step to follow. Sharing the same living space can start to feel like tight quarters when you are living with someone who you cannot stand. If possible, create a separate sleeping area for your ex-partner. Whether that be transforming an office, attic, or basement—get creative with the process.

• Stick to a Schedule: If you have children and are not able to parent them at the same time, create a schedule and stick by it. This allows you to have alone time with your children and may help in the transition when the divorce is finalized. It generates the experience of solo parenting and following a future parenting time (visitation) schedule. This also provides a sense of structure for you and your ex-spouse to navigate co-parenting together.

• Determine How Expenses Will Be Handled: Whether you are living together for financial reasons or not, talking about living expenses is crucial. It is helpful to sit down and create a plan regarding who is going to pay what bill. This can be done in a business-like manner, creating a document to follow. This will relieve the burden as one person will not be stuck bearing the weight of the finances.

Contact a Kane County Divorce Lawyer

Divorces can be a difficult situation under any circumstances. Establishing practices such as those above can help when living together before your divorce is finalized. The experienced St. Charles family and divorce attorneys at Weiler & Associates, Inc. understand that this is a sensitive manner, and recognize how overwhelming it may be. We handle these situations with the utmost professionalism and care. If you are thinking about getting a divorce or would like to learn more information about the process, contact our office today at 630–382–8050.

Sources:
https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=075000050K602.7
https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs5.asp?ActID=2086&ChapterID=59