If you have already decided to get divorced, you are likely wondering how to move forward. Couples who mutually agree to get a divorce may wonder if they can negotiate everything addressed in a divorce decree without going to trial and fighting out the details in front of a judge.

Originally instituted as a method by which gay and lesbian couples could get married in Illinois without federal approval, civil unions are now used by a wide variety of people for many reasons. Some couples are simply disinterested in the large ceremonies and expensive receptions that often accompany weddings, and some couples want to solidify their commitment to each other without affecting their federal tax filing status.

Illinois parentage law recognizes that relationships between people can be complicated and unpredictable. When there is a question regarding the parentage of a child who is born to unmarried parents, there is a procedure for establishing who is the father of the child.

Also known as alimony, spousal maintenance is a series of payments made from one former spouse to the other during or following a divorce. The purpose of spousal maintenance is to help the receiving spouse become financially independent following a marriage in which their quality of life was dependent on the paying spouse’s income.

Preparing for a wedding is a busy, thrilling, and nerve-wracking time. There are so many things to think about and so much romance in the air that considering a prenuptial agreement is often the last thing on the bride or groom’s mind. After all, nobody gets married believing that they will eventually get divorced.

The division and distribution of marital property is often one of the most contentious areas of divorce, especially in a high net worth divorce. Spouses frequently disagree about the value of assets and to whom they belong, and sometimes will even attempt to hide income or other assets. If you know your spouse made a certain amount of income, but this amount seems to have suddenly dropped now that you have filed for divorce, they may be trying to hide their true income in an attempt to pay lower amounts of spousal support or child support.