“Protect Yourself from Manipulation, False Accusations, and Abuse”

Divorce is difficult under the best of circumstances. When your spouse has borderline personality disorder (BPD) traits, narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) behaviors, or is manipulative, divorcing can be especially complicated. While people with these tendencies may initially appear convincing and even charming to lawyers and judges, you know better―many of these “persuasive blamers” leverage false accusations, attempt to manipulate others, launch verbal and physical attacks, and do everything they can to get their way.

Zoom login details for the session that includes Dr. William Bernet, the founder and first president of PASG, are listed below.

Here’s a hopefully helpful article from family lawyer Michael Roe about the use of these technologies.

Divorce law in Illinois continues to evolve with technology and changing family dynamics. One of the most significant emerging topics in recent years involves virtual parenting time — the use of electronic communication methods (such as video calls, phone calls, or messaging) to facilitate parent–child contact when in-person parenting time is not possible. As families navigate long distances or busy schedules, this development has become a vital aspect of maintaining healthy parent–child relationships after divorce.

Recent changes to Illinois divorce law have reshaped how courts handle child support calculations when parents share parenting time almost equally. These updates reflect the state’s ongoing efforts to align financial responsibility with actual time spent with children, a critical issue in modern family law.

Illinois courts determine child support under the Income Shares Model codified at 750 ILCS 5/505. This model allocates support based on each parent’s income and the proportion of time the child spends with them. The 2023 amendments to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act clarified that when each parent has the child for at least 146 overnights per year, the “shared parenting” formula must be applied, adjusting both parents’ obligations proportionally.

Illinois divorce law has undergone a profound transformation in the past decade. With the adoption of a purely no-fault divorce framework under the 750 ILCS 5/401(a), Illinois completely eliminated traditional fault-based grounds for dissolution. This means that divorcing spouses no longer need to prove adultery, cruelty, or abandonment — only that “irreconcilable differences” have caused an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage.

Background: From Fault to No-Fault

The Move from Fault to No-Fault Divorce

From as early as 1874, Illinois law listed specific fault-based justifications for divorce. Each required proof, testimony, and often public disclosure of intimate details in open court. The process was emotionally taxing and socially charged. Lawmakers, concerned about divorce’s moral implications, even imposed a mandatory one-year waiting period in 1905 before remarriage could occur—two years if adultery was involved.

Illinois divorce law continues to evolve, particularly when it comes to spousal maintenance. Talk to Michael Roe at www.illinois-attorney.net if you have questions about spousal maintenance in Illinois.

The Purpose of Maintenance