Disclaimer: All facts gleaned from the filings stated hereafter are only as truthful as the petitioner. The tone of this article expresses a style of writing historically employed by America’s greatest writers and, as such, is for opinion purposes only. No intentional harm is due. Do not read if the topic of divorce (even your own) causes you emotional distress. Continue at your own risk.
At precisely 1:26 p.m. on April 3, 2025, the foundations of a twelve-year marriage were formally challenged in the Circuit Court of Cook County. Byron Rodgers, through counsel Laurence Moss of Chicago Advocate Legal, NFP, filed a petition to dissolve his marriage with Linda Joyce Haywood. The couple wed in Crown Point, Indiana, on June 14, 2013, and share a minor child born in December 2014.
In the petition, Rodgers cites irreconcilable differences as the irreversible cause of the marital breakdown. According to the filings, reconciliation has not only failed but would be, in Rodgers’ view, counterproductive to the family’s best interest. He contends that he has been the sole provider for the minor child, while Haywood has not exercised parenting time nor contributed to the child’s upbringing—financially or otherwise.
Rodgers requests sole decision-making authority and majority parenting time, both temporary and permanent. He also seeks child support and a fair distribution of marital property and debts. Both parties are currently employed and waive any claim for spousal maintenance.
No real property was acquired during the marriage, though shared assets—including personal property and bank accounts—have yet to be divided. Rodgers confirms there are no other pending legal actions involving the child.
What unfolds next is up to the court, but as of April’s first week, a once-intact household finds itself before the law, with clarity, custody, and closure now in the court’s hands.
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