“How do I get a quick divorce in Illinois?”
The good news about a DuPage County divorce is that it can be very fast. But how do you make it as fast as possible?
I wrote this article to answer that question.
It doesn’t matter if the person is from Chicago, or the Illinois counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry or Will. Everyone seems to want a quick and affordable divorce.
And that makes sense. That’s why I put together this list of Tips for Quick Divorce in Illinois.
Tip #1: Make sure spouse agrees
Many times people say they are in agreement, but have barely spoken to their spouse. I think what they are doing is imaging a sort of prospective agreement they think is reasonable.
But keep in mind, an uncontested divorce is one by agreement. So the first step is actually getting some sort of agreement with your spouse. You won’t know absolutely all the detail you need until you contact a lawyer, but if you can’t come to basic agreement on how to divide property and debt, then it might be the case that an uncontested divorce is not in your future.
I also handle contested divorce, and litigation. I can take a case to trial – but an uncontested divorce will be much more quick and less stressful
Tip #2: Hire a lawyer
Technically, it is possible to get divorced without a lawyer. But before you decide to do that, consider what often happens to those who try to go it alone.
- Process: When getting divorced, there are certain procedures that must be followed. Many times people who try to represent themselves find the procedure is very confusing. They waste trips to court, take too much time off work dealing with nonsense, and so forth.
- Kids: Often, people don’t understand how the future will play out, and a self-drafted parenting agreement will result in problems down the line.
- Child support: People are often rightfully concerned about child support. If you don’t properly handle child support provisions, your agreement might not protect your interests as you thought.
- Property: Particularly when a divorce involves as house, people screw up. I have numerous cases where people tried to properly handle a house themselves – only to have to hire me years later to clean up the mess.
BEWARE: Many of the divorce websites are not even run by lawyers. The users simply input information into a website, and a settlement agreement pops out. The problem is that the website cannot possible ask the questions a lawyer would ask, and cannot spot problems like a lawyer would spot. Websites don’t think – they just spit out information.
Tip #3: Inventory your assets and debt
With few exceptions, everything acquired during a marriage is marital property.
Do you think that just because one person’s name is on a bank account that account is only that one person’s? Not true.
It’s almost wholly irrelevant if the property is titled only to one person. Why? Because, as I stated just above, “With few exceptions, everything acquired during a marriage is marital property.”
Tip #4: Details necessary for kids
If you have kids, and want an uncontested divorce, you might think you don’t need detail in a parenting agreement. Many clients tell me “We’ll just work it out.”
That’s a bad idea. First, judges won’t approve an uber-ambiguous parenting agreement. Second, even if they did, it will lead to problems as live moves on for both of you. People move, get remarried . . . who knows. If you get specific, you will have the framework necessary to address future concerns.
As a lawyer, I would help you draft a parenting agreement that would help keep you out of court.
Tip #5: Your family and friends are bad fake lawyers
It’s almost always a complete waste of time when prospective clients call me and start talking about what their friends and family told them about divorce. Once happened to one couple may not happen to you, for many reasons: you are different, your spouse is different, laws change, judges are different, etc.
Instead of using other people as lawyers, you should get your own.
Because I represent clients for a flat fee for an uncontested divorce in DuPage County, hiring a lawyer can be very productive, and affordable.
How long does a divorce take in DuPage County, Illinois?
Many of the divorces I handle in DuPage County take less thane one month from start to finish. But exactly how long yours takes depends on how fast you and your spouse move, the court’s schedule, and other factors.