An uncontested divorce in Illinois can be quit simple – so long as you use a lawyer. As an uncontested divorce lawyer in Cook, Lake and DuPage counties, I find that whether it’s Chicago, Skokie, Deerfield or Wheaton, people often have the misconception that an uncontested divorce means a lawyer isn’t necessary. While it’s true that an uncontested divorce in Illinois can be affordable and fast, it’s important not to forget that divorce is as legal process best handle by a lawyer. I wrote this article to explain why people who want an uncontested divorce in Illinois should use a lawyer.
Avoid wasting time going to court
While uncontested divorce is a good way to aimicalbly end a marriage without the expense of litigation, it’s still possible to waste a lot of time in an uncontested divorce in Illinois. For example, you may go to court to get various forms, spend time trying to figure out how to file a case, and leave with a stack of papers. You might fill out some forms, then go back to court to file the case. Perhaps you get a date in court – but you might go and find out that you haven’t complete with procedure or don’t have the proper documents available. Then you have to get a new date in court, and go back on that date, and try again.
It normally take a person two trips to court if they are attemping to handle a divorce without a lawyer – and that’s if everything goes well. Can you take two seperate blocks of time off work to got to court? Will doing so cost you anything – such as vacation time?
A lawyer can save you trips to court when handling an uncontested divorce.
Handle issues completely
I have never reviewed a settlement agreement prepared by a non-lawyer and found it to be sufficient. And don’t even get me started on all those garbage “online divorce” websites!
The meat of an uncontested divorce in Illinois – as far as asssets are concened – is the marital settlemetn agreement. Then if kids are involved, theres also a joint parenting agreement. Agreements created by non-lawyers are almost always garbage for the following reasons: 1) they don’t take into consideration obvious contingenies, 2) they contain provisions that are not enforceable by law, and 3) they contain provisions that will create problems because the spouses don’t understand ther legal implications of what they are signing.
Cost of uncontested divorce
I offer a flat fee to represent someone in an uncontested divorce in Illinois. I think my affordable uncontested divorce fee is miniscule when compared to the time savings and the benefit client’s receive of having their divorce properly handled.
I have a client now who is back in court after using a garbage “online divorce” site to draft her divorce paperwork. Why is she back in court? The website spit out some nonsense provision regarding how a mortgage would be paid, and no surprisingly, the couple was back in court years after the divorce in order to clear up the ambiguity.
Like I said, I do offer a flat fee for an uncontested divorce, and my flat fee includes my time and the court fees for my client and the spouse.