When going through a divorce, knowing what to expect may help ease the process. Ending a marriage often involves many emotions and steps. Divorcing spouses must separate nearly all or every aspect of the lives they built together, including their property holdings, finances, and even custody of their children. Fortunately, the dissolution of marriage occurs through structured processes.
Understanding the Illinois Divorce Process
For those considering getting divorced or who have already filed to dissolve a marriage, it is important to understand the process. Ending a marriage typically involves the filing of petitions with the court, serving legal notices, attending pre-trial hearings, and going to court. The exact structure the process will follow depends on how spouses intend to pursue their final outcomes – through negotiation, mediation, or court.
Reaching a Fair Outcome
People going through a divorce may expect to achieve fair resolutions to their cases. The standards applied to the components of divorce cases aim to facilitate as fair an outcome as possible for all those involved. No one wins or loses divorce cases, then. Rather, the laws and the courts decide issues such as property division, spousal support, and others based on what is most fair under the given circumstances.
Dividing Assets Equitably
After filing for divorce, people can expect to have their shared assets divided equitably. In Illinois, the court distributes married couples’ property based on the principle of equitable division. Divorcing spouses should keep in mind, however, that equitable does not mean equal. Instead, the court considers factors such as the duration of the marriage, each spouse’s contributions to their shared assets, the economic circumstances of each spouse, and the tax implications of the property division.
Anticipating Challenges
Expecting to hit a road bump or two on the path toward resolving their divorces may help people avoid getting derailed from their ultimate concerns and goals. Anticipating that issues will likely arise, divorcing spouses may prepare themselves to address such matters in the most efficient, effective manner possible.
Going through a divorce is often difficult for all involved. However, maintaining reasonable expectations and knowing what will come at each stage may help people protect their rights and interests when ending a marriage, putting them in the best position to rebuild their lives and move forward.
