Arnold Goldstein of Goldstein Law Offices has been in private practice for the more than 40 years in Illinois. For the first 20 years, Goldstein says that he gained extensive experience in the areas of general litigation, real estate, federal and state taxation and bankruptcy. Currently, Goldstein has shifted his focus and concentrates on family and litigation issues. His areas of expertise include issues of custody, visitation, alimony, property division, college, and obtaining child support.
What is the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act?
A detailed explanation of why the new laws regarding marriage and divorce were created, and how it has changed the way in which your divorce proceeding in Illinois is handled.
What is the Level the Playing Field Law?
Under this law, both spouses in a divorce case must have attorneys who are making the same amount of money from the case. For instance, if the husband cannot afford an adequate lawyer, then the wife may have to pay his legal fees as well.
How Does Divorce Work?
Because the entire process of divorce can be quite lengthy and confusing, here is an overview of how the typical divorce progresses, from initially filing, to finding the right attorney, and speaking in front of the judge.
What Are the Stages of a Divorce Case?
Understanding how a divorce case will progress can be tricky to predict. However, if done correctly, your divorce will initially be organized into these three stages.
Steps Before Divorce
Even though admittedly, divorce is a unique subject for each couple, there are a few commonalities across the board. Follow these steps before filing for divorce — stop, look, and listen.
Preparing For Divorce
As odd as it may seem, if you know that divorce is looming in your near future, there are ways that you can prepare for it. You need to make sure that you have gathered the correct documents, know what you want, and have the right legal representation.
What Are Possible Grounds For Divorce?
While the reason may be that you have been bickering for years, or that he always leaves the refrigerator door open, these won’t solidify a divorce in the Illinois court system. Instead, you must cite one of the following 11 grounds as your reason for divorce.
What Are Mistakes Commonly Made In Divorce Cases?
Some divorces progress quickly without much bickering between spouses, while others require lengthy negotiations and trials. Regardless of how long your case takes, here are five mistakes that you should try to avoid.
How to Get a Quick Divorce
While there is not a concrete formula for how to make your divorce effortless, there are a few ways that you can help speed up the process of your divorce.
Can You File For Divorce Without a Lawyer?
Unless you have no assets, debt, and children, then you cannot successfully file for divorce yourself. Once you’ve realized that you will need legal representation, you have to make sure that you are hiring an attorney who will suit your needs.
Why You Need an Experienced Divorce Lawyer
What you should be paying attention to during your search is how much experience your possible lawyer has and how long he has been practicing divorce law, not where he went to school.
What is Marital Debt?
One of the most astounding pieces of information that couples going through a divorce discover is that when it comes to distributing the debt that has accumulated during the course of the marriage, the courts don’t divide the balance in association with which party used or purchased the expenses.
What is Allocation of Debt?
The meaning of debt does not just include the second mortgage you took out on your home or the balance on your credit card. If you are just entering into divorce negotiations, you are bound to be surprised by how many areas of your life have to be covered.
What is a Marital Settlement Agreement?
Marital settlements have become increasingly more common and are similar to prenups, except that they take place after a couple is married.
How is Alimony Decided?
Alimony, or maintenance as it is often referred to in divorce proceedings, is essentially the payment that a spouse with a high income pays to a spouse who earns much less.
How Are Child Support Payments Decided?
Just because you are divorced doesn’t mean you can relinquish all of your child-rearing responsibilities. The government has designed a specific formula to determine how much child support you must pay each month.
Joint Custody Agreements
The desire to remain an important figure in your child’s life has led many previously married couples to agree to terms of joint custody. The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act outlines how important decisions for a child will be made when there is a joint custody agreement.
Modifying a Divorce Judgment
Depending on your particular situation, some areas of your divorce judgment can be modified. Here are the areas of your divorce that are still up for discussion, and how to go about changing the details.
This article is for informational purposes only. You should not rely on this article as a legal opinion on any specific facts or circumstances, and you should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel. Publication of this article and your receipt of this article does not create an attorney-client relationship.
