How is Illinois’ stay-at-home order affecting marriages? If the statistics coming out of China are any indication, the number of divorce filings in the United States will definitely spike once the order is lifted.
Attorneys Michael Ian Bender and Molly E. Caesar, co-founding partners of Chicago’s Caesar & Bender, LLP, have already noticed a substantial increase in calls to their office from men and women seeking information and advice about filing for divorce.
“We weren’t surprised by the number of inquiries,” said Bender, a retired Domestic Relations Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County. “The order to stay home is causing many husbands, wives and partners to face the reality of just how worn-out, sad and trapped they feel by being tied to the other person,” he added. “They are searching for relief because everyone has the desire to be happy and live the life that they rightfully deserve.”
“You can only imagine what it’s like for couples who were contemplating divorce or who were unhappy before the COVID-19 crisis,” said Caesar. “They are in a confined space, under the same roof 24/7, and their lives have been disrupted,” she added. “Many are so serious about their decision to go their separate ways that they are asking us if there is anything they can do right now, while being ordered to stay at home, to get things in place. And, the answer is yes.”
To guide those who are seriously considering divorce, Caesar and Bender have developed a checklist to help them get things in order.
