If divorce is on your mind, there is probably a very good reason for that. Perhaps you are considering divorce, or maybe your spouse has served you with divorce papers. Whatever your situation is, consulting with an experienced divorce attorney near you early in the process is the best course of action. An important point to keep in mind here is that, if you are considering divorce, discussing the matter with a well-informed divorce attorney does not increase your chances of ultimately seeking a divorce. In fact, a better understanding of what divorce entails will help you make a fully educated decision regarding the future of your marriage. However, if you have been served with divorce papers then there is a limited timeframe that you have to file the necessary and appropriate paperwork with the court to ensure that a default is not obtained against you.
If you and your divorcing spouse share children, parental responsibilities which includes both decision-making and parenting time are primary concerns. Parental responsibilities includes two facets: decision-making refers to who will be making those major parenting determinations moving forward, and parenting time refers to how you and your ex will be dividing your time with the kids.
The parenting concerns that pertain to the decision-making aspect of parental responsibilities include:
Parenting time, on the other hand, sets the schedule for when your kids are with you and when they are with their other parent.
Like every other state, Illinois requires both parents to provide financial support for their children, and child support coupled with contributions to other child-related expenses are the tools that are used. While a variety of diverse factors go into the child support calculation process, the two primary matters include:
Throughout your marriage, you and your spouse acquired assets and may have taken on debt. These assets – as offset by any debt – amount to your marital property, which must be divided between you in a manner that is considered fair – or equitable – given the circumstances that are involved. Any separate property that either of you brought into the marriage with you will remain yours alone if you were able to keep it separate throughout your marriage, which can be exceptionally challenging. You need to consult with a seasoned divorce attorney to determine the marital versus non-marital nature of any assets along with the reasonable allocation to expect in a divorce.
Maintenance, which is also known as alimony and spousal support, takes into consideration the income of each party along with the duration of the marriage to determine whether or not a party is entitled to maintenance in Illinois. Other factors also come into play, such as whether or not a party is also paying child support, the needs of the party, among many other considerations that a divorce attorney can explain as it is unique to each case.
The accomplished Illinois divorce attorneys at WARD FAMILY LAW, LLC, take immense pride in their proven ability to help protect the parental and financial rights of clients like you. Your divorce case is important, so please don’t wait to contact us for more information today.
I am writing a review because I think a lot of times people make the same mistake that I did at the beginning of my case. I had a wonderful talk with Jennifer before my case started and I was very comfortable with her demeanor and her explanations of the Chicago Divorce process. I decided to go with another lawyer because the retainer was a little lower. Big mistake. I didn’t really like the lawyer when we spoke but I was more focused on the money instead of the big picture. I felt like there was no communication during my…
My Husband, now ex, and I wanted a friendly, fast divorce. We had nothing to fight about and nothing really to divide. We thought that would make it easy but when we saw all the paperwork we knew that we needed help. It takes one piece of paper to get married and 100 pieces of paper to get divorced in Chicago!! Ward Family Law made the divorce a smooth process for us and got it done faster than we thought. If you want to be friends with your ex but still want the divorce then look no further and call…
I had a very complicated divorce with a lot of family-owned businesses and assets. Jennifer and her team of professionals help navigate the formal discovery and litigation process with great knowledge, strategy, and patience with all our questions. My family was very concerned about the impact and outcome and we are all pleased with the results. From the appraisers to the business valuators, Jennifer utilized the right people at the right time to shore up our case for the best settlement position at pre-trial. We were happy with the Judge's recommendations, we believe, based on all her hard work and…
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