Getting through a divorce might be easier if you are informed of the process before it starts. This post from our Chicago sole custody lawyer’s office provides 4 tips to aid in steering you through this tough time.

1. Court Isn’t All It Is Cracked Up to Be

As things aren’t going well within a divorce case, one partner might threaten to terminate negotiations and move forward with court proceedings. But, the path to a divorce trial is costly and long. The cost of a trial may deplete the assets which often are the subject of a dispute. Even simplistic matters may require several court days to complete, and upon spending thousands of dollars, partners and their lawyers are left with the uncertainty of how a judge might rule.

These rules will apply to same-sex and opposite sex couples who are civil union partners, as well as opposite-sex married couples.

Grounds for Divorce

The state of Illinois recognizes both fault and no-fault grounds for divorce. To obtain a divorce based upon no-fault grounds, otherwise referred to as ‘irreconcilable differences,’ both parties must’ve been separated for at least two years. If both parties concur in writing to the divorce, only a 6 month separation is needed.

But, if both parties do not concur to the divorce, haven’t been separated for at least two years, and cannot get the court to waive a separation requirement, one of the partners may file for a divorce based upon fault grounds. Such grounds involve a felony conviction, cruelty, desertion, bigamy, adultery, or impotency. The Illinois family law court might require the partners to go to counseling or a conciliation conference or if there are kids involved, an educational program concerning the effects of divorce on kids.