Divorce Lawyer Chicago

Divorce Lawyer Chicago

Your divorce will need to address the unique circumstances that you and your divorcing spouse find yourselves in, but the basic terms of divorce do not change. Because protecting your financial and parental rights throughout the legal process is key, working closely with an experienced divorce lawyer in Chicago is always to your advantage.  

Your Child Custody Arrangements

If you and your divorcing spouse share children, you’ll need to address the matters of child custody – or parental responsibilities and parenting time – along with child support. Child custody includes both legal custody, which is addressed as parental responsibilities, and physical custody, which is addressed as parenting time.

Parental responsibilities refer to your decision-making authority regarding primary parenting matters, such as the following:

• Decisions related to your children’s ongoing education
• Decisions related to your children’s medical care
• Decisions related to the extracurricular activities your children participate in
• Decisions related to your children’s religious education

You and your ex can make these decisions together – the way you did while married, or one of you can be awarded sole parental responsibilities. Other options include dividing the decisions between you by category or making the decisions together, but one of you having the authority to break a tie in the event doing so is necessary.

Parenting time designates the schedule that you and your ex will follow regarding when the children are with one of you or the other. Illinois courts attempt to maximize the amount of time each parent has with the children unless there is a significant reason for ruling otherwise. 

Supporting Your Children Financially

A parent’s financial obligation to their children does not end with divorce, and child support is the payment system used to ensure that both parents pay their share. A range of important factors go into this calculation, but each parent’s earnings and the amount of parenting time each has are of primary importance. Even when parents share parenting time equally, the parent with the higher income generally has the child support obligation.

The Division of Marital Property

Every divorcing couple must address the matter of dividing marital property. If the asset was acquired during your marriage, it is very likely marital property that will need to be divided between you fairly. This can – but doesn’t necessarily – mean equally. Separate assets refer to those that were owned by either of you prior to marriage, and these generally remain separate as long they were kept separate throughout the marriage.

Alimony

Alimony, or spousal maintenance, applies only when one spouse is left without the means to continue supporting themself while the other has the financial ability to help. Alimony is usually set for the amount of time the recipient needs to gain greater financial independence through further education or job training.

Turn to an Experienced Divorce Lawyer in Chicago for the Help You Need

The seasoned Chicago divorce attorneys at Arami Law, Inc., know how challenging the divorce process is and dedicate their practice to skillfully supporting your rights – in fierce pursuit of favorable terms that make sense for you. To learn more, please don’t wait to contact us today.