Chicago Divorce Attorney

Chicago Divorce Attorney

If you have come to the difficult determination that you need a divorce, you may have no idea about how best to proceed. Divorce not only stirs up a torrent of emotions but also signifies considerable changes ahead for you and your children. A dedicated Chicago divorce attorney will direct the full force of his or her considerable experience into helping you obtain divorce terms that allow you to move into your post-divorce life with confidence. 

Your Marital Property

The assets that you and your spouse acquire during your married years are considered marital property, and they are intended to be divided between you in a manner that is deemed equitable (or fair) upon divorce. Factors that can influence this division include:

• Whether either of you made significant homemaking contributions throughout the course of your marriage
• Whether either of you attempted to hide marital funds during the course of your divorce (or prior to)
• Whether one of you has considerably more separate assets that belong to you or your spouse alone
• The duration of your marriage
• The relevant economic circumstances at hand (whatever is deemed relevant by the court)
• Whether you have a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement in place that addresses this division of marital property
• Each spouse’s health, level of education, age, and earning potential
• Whether it makes sense to attempt to keep the children in the family home and to, therefore, award the primary residential parent the house in property division

In other words, the division of your marital property is complicated and must be addressed properly.

Your Child Custody Arrangements

If your divorce involves shared children, your child custody arrangements are naturally paramount. Some of the important factors that help the court make custody determinations include:

• The wishes of the children (while the children don’t make important custody decisions, their preferences are often taken into consideration – in one manner or another)
• The children’s level of adjustment in their home, their schools, and their community at large (if they are well adjusted, the court may be invested in maintaining the status quo)
• The mental and physical health of both parents
• The ability each parent has to cooperate reasonably with the other 
• The degree to which each parent has participated in making important decisions on behalf of the children in the past
• Each parent’s preferences
• The specific needs of the children involved
• The distance between the parents’ separate homes
• The willingness of each parent to continue fostering a close, loving relationship between the children and the other parent
• The presence of any domestic violence perpetrated by either parent 

Contact an Experienced Chicago Divorce Attorney Today

A dedicated Chicago divorce attorney at WARD FAMILY LAW is standing by to help you effectively and efficiently advance toward finalized divorce terms that accommodate you and your children’s ongoing needs and best interests. For more information, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.