Will the Court Divide My Inheritance if I File for Divorce?

When you are thinking about divorce and learning more about property division in Illinois, we know that you are likely to have many questions. One common set of questions we often receive concerns the classification of marital property for purposes of distribution. For example, are there any kinds of property acquired after the date of the marriage that can be classified as separate property? Or, for instance, are there situations in which property acquired by one of the spouses many[...]

Should I File for Divorce or Seek an Annulment?

Couples in Cook County who no longer want to be married sometimes want to know whether they should seek a divorce or an annulment. People often think that an annulment is preferable to a divorce for different reasons; sometimes those reasons are based on the person’s religion, but a preference for an annulment can also arise from concerns about the social stigma of divorce. Can a person choose whether to get an annulment or a divorce? In short, anyone who[...]

What is the Difference Between Separation and Divorce?

If you are having problems in your marriage, you might be thinking about filing for divorce in Chicago. At the same time, you may have heard about the possibility of separation—and legal separation, specifically—as an alternative to divorce. Is it possible to become legally separated? In short, the answer is yes: One of the parties in a married couple can seek a legal separation. However, it is important to understand how a legal separation differs from a physical separation and,[...]

How to Have a Friendly Divorce

Is it possible to have a friendly divorce in Chicago? In other words, do spouses actually come to a joint agreement to end their marriage on terms that are favorable to both parties? While most divorces involve at least some contentious issues, spouses often are able to resolve these matters so that they can still have an uncontested divorce. In other cases, even when the parties disagree about certain terms pertaining to property division, for example, it may still be[...]

Reasons Why You Should Not Stay in a Bad Marriage

Are you thinking about divorce in Chicago, but routinely having second thoughts for reasons that are not necessarily helpful to your own well-being or happiness? There are many reasons that people remain in marriages that are difficult and even psychologically or physically harmful. Yet for many people, coming to the realization that it is possible to get divorced and to be happy despite having more limited resources ultimately makes the decision to file for divorce worth it. A recent article[...]