6 Important Issues in Divorce in Illinois

 Posted on February 21, 2024 in Child Custody

Before your divorce can be finalized, a lot of different issues will need to be resolved. The court will want to make sure that your divorce decree addresses every important legal issue. A divorce agreement that fails to address an issue that is important to you can cause problems later, and could even force you to return to court at a later date. Your divorce agreement or decree might even mention issues that are not relevant to you simply to avoid later disputes. For example, if child custody issues will not be a part of your divorce because there are no children of the marriage, your decree might specify that you do not have children in common and neither spouse is pregnant. Your Naperville, IL, divorce attorney can help you make a complete list of issues that will need to be resolved during your divorce.

Divorce Issues to Address

A few of the issues your divorce decree or agreement will need to address include:

• Spousal maintenance - If one of you is not able to begin supporting yourself immediately because you were a long-term homemaker, have disabilities, or are elderly, alimony may be a very important part of your divorce. 
• Child custody - If you do have children together, allocating parenting time and parental responsibilities will likely be the most important issue you will need to address. Whether one parent will pay child support is also a critical issue. 
• Dividing assets - All of your marital assets need to be divided equitably. Your marital assets include almost anything you acquired during the marriage, even if only one spouse’s income was used to buy the asset. 
• Dividing debts - Regardless of whose name a certain debt is in, most debts acquired during the marriage will be considered marital debts. 
• The marital home - Whether you rent or own, you will need to determine how to dispose of the marital residence. This might mean one spouse stays in the home and the other moves out, or it might mean selling the residence or having both spouses vacate the apartment. 
• Separate property - Before you can begin dividing marital assets, you will need to determine which property is owned separately by only one of you. Your separate property might include inheritances, lawsuit settlements, or items you owned before marriage.

Your attorney will discuss each issue with you to determine what your priorities are.

Contact a Will County, IL, Divorce Lawyer

Law Office of Ronald L. Hendrix, P.C. will be very thorough in making sure every important issue in your divorce is resolved in a way you are satisfied with. Our experienced Naperville, IL, divorce attorneys will strive to make sure your divorce agreement is complete. Contact us at 630-355-7776 for a complimentary consultation.