Author Archives: Jay Butchko
This Online Financial Marketplace Wants You to Know These Important Steps to Buying a Home after a Legal Separation or Divorce
There is no doubt that one of the biggest and most obvious changes that a newly-separated or divorced person typically has to make after a Chicago separation or divorce is where they live. Separating or divorcing spouses typically split up not only emotionally, but physically, choosing to forgo living together during the pendency of… Read More »
Advice Columnist Weighs in on Woman’s “Unsettling” Feelings about Friend’s Behavior During Pending Divorce
Providing support to a friend who is going through a divorce can sometimes be a challenging thing. Knowing when to provide a shoulder to cry on, and when to provide “tough love” to a loved one is a careful balancing act, especially when emotions are raw. One woman who wrote in to Anne Lane,… Read More »
Chicago Tribune Advice Columnist Helps Distraught Parents Navigate Soon-to-be Divorced Daughter’s Difficult Housing Situation
A distraught and confused mother by the alias “Financially Secure” wrote to Chicago Tribune advice columnist Amy Dickinson, otherwise known as Ask Amy, seeking counsel about her daughter’s recent divorce, and what she and her husband should do about their daughter and grandchildren’s housing situation. On Tuesday, February 20, Finally Secure explained that her… Read More »
2-Year-Old Elgin, Illinois Boy Located Safely after Abduction by Father
To some people in Chicago, the idea that a child could be abducted by their own parent does not add up. Indeed, to some, the notion that a parent could kidnap or abduct their own flesh and blood, and be charged with a crime in connection with the abduction, just seems simply outlandish. The… Read More »
Did You Know that a Judge Can’t Finalize Your Divorce in these States if You’re Pregnant?
A democratic legislator in Missouri is making headlines this week for her efforts to do away with an antiquated and sexist state law that prevents females who are pregnant from finalizing divorce proceedings. According to national news reports, Representative Ashley Aune, of Missouri’s District 14, Platte County, introduced a bill into the state legislature… Read More »
How a Canadian Mother was Criminally Sentenced for Abducting Her Own Child Across International Borders
In July, 2022, a Canadian mother and her son were reported as missing. The reports were made after the woman’s car was found at a park in the area where she lived. It was unknown at the time, but the case would turn from a missing persons case to an international child abduction. According… Read More »
Divorcing when You Own a Home (and Still Owe Payments) – Tips for Navigating Owning a Home while Splitting Up
According to a Yahoo!Finance article that came out, a whopping 59% of people who have gone through a divorce report that they went into debt after their divorce. Furthermore, of those who incurred debt after divorce proceedings, 41% reported that they racked up more than $5,000 in debt. One of the factors that divorcees… Read More »
Psychology Today Weighs In on “Big Three Questions” about Children and Divorce
There is no doubt that divorce is no easy topic. However, for children, the topic of divorce can be an especially scary one, with many questions about why, feelings of guilt and fault, and with the family unit splitting up and changing in ways a child never imagined. For parents, the thought of a… Read More »
With Mortgage Rates Soaring, Divorcing Couples Seek Creative Ways to Deal with Who Gets the House
There is no doubt that one of the key issues in many Chicago divorces is about who will keep the marital home. While some divorcing couples may be able to forge an amicable solution to who will stay in the home they created together, other couples must take the fight to court and get… Read More »
Chicago Kids at Risk of More than Just “Stranger Danger” as Abductions by Parents Still Outpace Stranger Kidnappings
Many Chicago parents and parents across the country teach their children about “stranger danger.” If you are unfamiliar with the term, “stranger danger” means being alert and aware that a person unknown to the child may cause them harm, such as abducting them. Children who are taught about “stranger danger” may be told that… Read More »