The divorce process may just be one of the hardest directions that you will ever have to take in your life. It can be overwhelming and emotionally draining. However, while going through a divorce you need to have a person by your side who can advise you and help you make sound decisions. After a divorce, you are likely to experience financial changes that will hugely impact your life. It is important to have a legal representative that you trust to represent your best interest.
Illinois being a no-fault state means that no-fault grounds for divorce do not apply. When applying for a divorce in Illinois grounds such as abandonment, adultery, physical cruelty, mental cruelty, habitual drunkenness, and other factors cannot be used as a basis for a divorce. In the case where an individual wants a divorce based on irreconcilable differences, they can go ahead and file for the divorce. The only requirement that is needed so the divorce can be finalized is for both parties to live apart and separate continuously for a period of six months and above.
You do not have to live in separate houses for you to be considered to be living separately. Spouses can live under one roof but live in separate bedrooms and still share the essential financial obligations in the household such as taking care of their children’s financial needs. Also, as the couple lives in separate rooms in the house they do not share any meaningful conversations. You may be wondering why should I hire a Chicago divorce lawyer even if Illinois is a no-fault state. This article will help guide you as to why you need a lawyer to represent you during a divorce proceeding.
Identify Your Concerns
To identify if you need a divorce lawyer in Chicago you should first identify what are some of your major concerns. Before scheduling a consultation with a lawyer you should first write down what your concerns are and what you expect from the divorce. Most divorce cases involve property division, children, spousal support, child support, and child custody. After you have written down a list of the concerns that you have and what you hope to achieve you should then look for a lawyer that specializes in this area.
During the Consultation
It is important to carry out your research on the attorney and to go through their credentials, and their practice areas. You should as well consider the disciplines that they have and why they have them. Once you have narrowed down what would be important to know about the attorney you can now schedule a consultation with your attorney. You should handle the consultation like a job interview since you are going to be hiring an attorney to represent you. You should prepare a list of questions to ask the attorney. Below are some of the questions that you should ask:
- How many cases similar to mine have you handled and what was the outcome?
- Who will be taking on my case?
- How are we going to accomplish the goals that I have?
- What are your rates/fees? What is your payment plan?
- How often will I gate a status update of my case?
- What challenges can arise while tackling my case?
- Are you a skilled negotiator? How many cases have you negotiated and what was the outcome?
- Do you have court and trial experience? How much experience do you have?
As you are looking for the best attorney to hire you should ensure that you get a legal representative that is sympathetic, compassionate, and interested in meeting your goals.
Related Content: How Long Does it Take to Get a Divorce in Illinois?
Can I Defend Myself Without The Help of a Divorce Attorney?
You can represent yourself during a divorce case. Even though you can do so you should know that divorce is not a simple legal process. Hiring a divorce lawyer to represent you can make a huge difference in the outcome of your case. If you are going to trial hiring an aggressive divorce lawyer to represent your interests will work in your favor. When your divorce is being settled via a collaborative divorce process you will need a lawyer that can be able to negotiate on your behalf.
Representing yourself in a divorce case will not lead to you getting the best outcome for your case. You will find this to be more truthful if your spouse has hired a divorce attorney to represent them. This is because the success rate of an individual representing themselves against an attorney has a lower likelihood of yielding success in the case. In a divorce case, there is a need to draft a bid load of legal documents and if they are not completed properly it can turn out to be devastating for the litigant.
When you find a lawyer that you can trust to work on your case most people feel like they can relax since a skilled and experienced legal counsel is working on the case on their behalf.
Do You Need a Divorce Lawyer for an Uncontested Divorce?
In the case where you and your soon-to-be-ex have been able to agree on all the terms concerning your divorce case, you can go ahead and file for an uncontested divorce without getting the help of an attorney. Even when this is the case it is important for you to get an attorney to go through your uncontested divorce agreement. They should do this so they can make sure that your interests and rights are well protected.
A divorce lawyer can help in making sure that your divorce agreement is accepted by the court. Even if you have decided to settle the agreement by yourself if the judge goes through the agreement and sees that there are issues that have not been fairly resolved or addressed they can refuse to grant the divorce. A divorce attorney will help make sure that you have not overlooked any important issues that could end up causing problems in your life later on.
Related Content: What to do Before Filing For Divorce?
When You Need a Divorce Attorney
Even though there are instances where you will be able to resolve your own divorce case without the help of an attorney there are situations where you should definitely seek the help of an experienced divorce lawyer to represent you. Below are some of those situations when you may probably need the help of a Chicago family law attorney;
- When there is an issue of domestic violence.
- If you think that there are things that your spouse is not telling the truth about you may need a lawyer.
- If you have complicated issues involving your kids and your finances and your kids.
- You probably need an attorney if your spouse has hired a divorce attorney to represent them.
In the case where you are not financially competent to hire a divorce attorney, you can contact your local legal aid office to try and get help. It is possible for you to qualify for reduced or free legal representation.
However, if you want the services of a skilled and experienced divorce attorney in Chicago, Illinois we can help. Call a Tommalieh Law divorce attorney and book your free initial consultation.
