Divorce Lawyer Evanston

Divorce Lawyer Evanston

Divorce represents a challenging transition that can come as a real shock in one’s life. While you’re reeling from the emotional fallout, it can be difficult to stay focused on protecting your legal rights throughout the divorce process. Having an experienced divorce lawyer in Evanston in your corner helps to ensure that your divorce will proceed as smoothly as possible toward a favorable outcome.

The Division of Marital Assets

Any property that you own or that your spouse owns at the time of your marriage – and that you keep separate during your marriage – will remain your own. Everything that either of you comes to own while you are married, however, is marital property that must be divided between you fairly at the time of divorce. Because it directly affects your financial rights, this division has the potential to be one of the most challenging divorce terms to resolve. 

Parenting Matters

In Illinois, child custody is addressed in terms of both parental responsibilities and parenting time. Parental responsibilities determine who will take on the responsibility of making the decisions that guide your children’s upbringing, including:

• Decisions about their healthcare needs
• Decisions about their education
• Decisions about their religious upbringing
• Decisions about their participation in extracurriculars

Parental responsibilities can be either sole or joint, but additional options include:

• Joint parental responsibilities in which one of you has tie-breaking authority
• Joint parental responsibilities in which you and your ex divide the decisions between you according to category

Parenting time determines the schedule that divides your and your ex’s time with the kids. Either one of you will become the primary custodial parent, or you will share your time with the kids more evenly. Within these two classifications, there is considerable room for hammering out an individualized schedule that works for your family.

Child Support

Illinois requires both parents to continue supporting their minor children financially, and they have an exacting child support calculation methodology to help ensure that this support is balanced across both parents in relation to the earnings of each. Typically – even if you and your ex divide your time with your shared children equally – the child support obligation is taken on by the higher earner.

Alimony – Alimony is a payment requirement that is only implemented in those divorces in which one spouse is left unable to provide for themself financially while the other has the ability to help. Alimony is usually set for a duration and amount that are intended to allow the recipient the opportunity to gain financial independence via further education or through the acquisition of experience or job training. 

Discuss Your Case with an Experienced Divorce Lawyer in Evanston Today

The focused divorce lawyers at Hammer Serna & Quinn in Evanston dedicate their impressive practice to helping clients like you obtain divorces that uphold their rights and support their futures. We’re on your side, so please don’t put off contacting us for more information about what we can do to help you today.