Welcome To Vantage Group Legal Services

For many, the divorce process is the most stressful event they will ever go through. Divorcing parties normally just want to move on with their lives. The last thing either spouse wants is for the process to drag on. Thankfully, unlike other states, Illinois does not impose a “cooling off” period on those seeking a divorce. However, Illinois imposes strict residency requirements that you must fulfill before filing. Generally, at least one of the parties must have lived in the state for at least 90 days. In the event the parties have minor children, the residency requirement becomes 180 days. In addition to residency requirements, the type of divorce being sought determines the timeline for a divorce in Illinois.  Facing divorce in Illinois? You’re in the right place. Call 24/7 for a free consultation: (773) 938-4747   What Is the Fastest Way to Get Divorced in Illinois? If you and your spouse are not dependent on one other, have no children, own few assets, make a modest income, have been married for less than eight years, and agree on every aspect of the property division, you may qualify for an expedited divorce. Joint simplified divorces are the fastest and cheapest way to obtain a divorce in Illinois. Because the parties complete and file the paperwork together, there is no waiting on service of process.  Moreover, joint simplified divorces typically require only a single hearing before a judge. The main holdup for these types of divorces is the court date. Court dockets are full. Expect the hearing to be no earlier than a month or two after filing. What About Uncontested Divorces? Uncontested divorces are for parties who agree on matters of property division, child custody, and child support but for whatever reason don’t qualify for a joint simplified divorce. In this scenario, the timeline is longer because the petitioner must effectuate service of process, which could take weeks. After receiving the petition, the other party has up to 30 days to file a response. How Long Do Contested Divorces Take? Contested divorces are the most time-consuming of divorces. The timeline for contested divorces includes service of process and 30 days for the spouse to file a response. Once in court, the judge will likely order mediation between the parties to settle disputes. Expect to wait at least a month for mediation. If mediation fails, the court will schedule a trial. Expect to wait around six months for this. Finally, after trial, expect to wait 60–90 days for the court’s final divorce decree.  Work with an Experienced Divorce Lawyer The extent to which each party is willing to work with the other generally determines the timeline for a divorce in Illinois. The greater the conflict, the longer the divorce process. If you are filing for divorce and are unsure of the best way to proceed, contact Vantage Group Legal Services for a free consultation. Our mission is to bring together the very best legal professionals to serve our clients at a truly affordable price. We can evaluate your legal options and help you determine your best course of action.

Once the court has allocated significant decision-making responsibility and determined a permanent parenting plan—both in the best interest of the child, it will determine the child support obligations for either or both parents. Note that the primary residential parent is not necessarily always the recipient of child support. Sometimes the parent with less parenting time receives support from the parent with more parenting time. This might be the case when one parent makes substantially more money than the other.  The method to determine child support in Illinois is known as the income shares method. The following is a simplified summary of the process Illinois courts use to determine one’s child support obligation. Facing a child support issue in Illinois? You’re in the right place. Call 24/7 for a free consultation: (773) 938-4747 Standard Child Support Calculation The following formula applies when one of the parties exercises less than 146 days of parenting time per year. Step One: Determine Your Adjusted Net Income Adjusted net income is generally gross income minus taxes and other permissible deductions. If Father earns $8,000 per month and pays $2,000 per month in taxes, his adjusted net income would be $6,000.  Step Two: Determine Your Combined Adjusted Net Income Combined adjusted net income is determined by adding each parent’s adjusted net income together. For example, if Father nets $6,000 per month, and Mother nets $5,000 per month, then the parties’ combined adjusted net income would be $11,000 per month.   Step Three: Determine the Total Child Support Obligation The Illinois Income Shares Schedule is used to determine how much financial support a child is entitled to. The schedule is meant to approximate how much support the child would have received if the parents were married and living together. To determine one’s total support obligation, look for the parent’s combined net income on the left-hand side of the schedule, and match it to the number of minor children listed at the top. For example, Mother and Father have three children and a combined adjusted net income of $11,000 per month. Pursuant to the Illinois Income Shares Schedule, the total child support obligation for three children is $2,755 per month.  Step Four: Determine Each Parent’s Share of the Total Child Support Obligation For this step, divide a parent’s respective monthly net income (From Step 1) by the parents’ combined net income (From Step 2), then multiply the answer by the total child support obligation amount (From Step 3).  For example, if Father nets $6,000 per month, and Mother nets $5,000 per month, the parents combined net income is $11,000 per month. $6,000 divided by $11,000 is 55%. 55% multiplied by $2,755 comes to $1,503 per month for Father.  Use the same calculation for Mother. $5,000 per month divided by $11,000 is 45%. 45% multiplied by $2,755 comes to $1,252 per month for Mother.  Step Five: The Non-Custodial Parent Pays Their Entire Share to the Custodial Parent If the children reside primarily with Father, Mother must pay him all her share ($1,252 per month). Because Father is the custodial or primary residential parent, Illinois courts will presume that he is properly contributing his own share ($1,503 per month) toward necessities for the children. Shared Parenting Child Support Calculation Illinois courts calculate child support differently when each parent exercises at least 146 days (overnights) or 40% of parenting time with the child. Generally, child support calculated pursuant to a shared parenting time schedule will yield a much lower child support obligation for the noncustodial parent.  Step One: Determine Your Adjusted Net Income Adjusted net income is generally gross income minus taxes and other permissible deductions. If Father earns $8,000 per month and pays $2,000 per month in taxes, his adjusted net income would be $6,000.  Step Two: Determine Your Combined Adjusted Net Income Combined adjusted net income is determined by adding each parent’s adjusted net income together. For example, if Father nets $6,000 per month, and Mother nets $5,000 per month, then the parties’ combined adjusted net income would be $11,000 per month.  Step Three: Determine the Total Child Support Obligation Illinois courts increase the total child support obligation for shared parenting arrangements. To determine the total support obligation, look for the parents’ combined net income on the left-hand side of the income shares schedule, and match it to the number of minor children listed at the top. Next, multiply that amount by 150%. For example, Mother and Father have three children and a combined adjusted net income of $11,000 per month. Pursuant to the Illinois Income Shares Schedule, the child support obligation for three children is $2,755 per month. $2,755 multiplied by 150% is $4,132.50. $4,132.50 is the total child support obligation. Step Four: Determine Each Parent’s Share of the Total Child Support Obligation For this step, divide a parent’s respective monthly net income (from Step 1) by both parents’ combined net income (from Step 2), then multiply the answer by the total child support obligation amount (from Step 3). Now, multiply that answer by the other parent’s percentage of parenting time out of the year. In this scenario, we will assume that the parents share parenting time 50/50. If Father nets $6,000 per month, and Mother nets $5,000 per month, the parents’ combined net income is $11,000 per month. $6,000 divided by $11,000 is 55%. 55% multiplied by $4,132.50 comes to $2,272.88. $2,272.88 multiplied by 50% parenting time comes to $1,136.44. For Mother, $5,000 per month divided by $11,000 is 45%. 45% multiplied by $4,132.50 comes to $1,859.63. $1,859.63 multiplied by 50% parenting time comes to $929.82. Step Five: Offset the Difference  Even though Father exercises 50/50 parenting time, he makes more money, and thus contributes more. In the example above, Father would pay Mother the difference between $1,136.44 and $929.82. His total child support obligation comes to a mere $206.62 per month. An Experienced Family Law Attorney Can Help Maximize Your Parenting Time Depending on the number of overnights you have with your child, you may be able...

Divorce in Illinois is expensive. At Vantage Group Legal, we can help you do get it done for less. Worrying about how much a divorce costs in Illinois adds to that emotion and stress. While no one may know what your divorce will ultimately cost, carefully considering the following factors may provide guidance. Understanding where to place your priorities and what fees may be unavoidable in the process minimizes the risk of surprises and assists in managing your expectations.  What are the Costs Involved With Divorce in Illinois? Initial Fees for an Illinois Divorce Even if you and your ex-spouse mutually agree to end your marriage based on irreconcilable differences, unavoidable fees make up part of the average divorce cost in Illinois.  You must file your petition for divorce in the county where you reside. The average cost to file for divorce in Illinois varies from county to county. For example, in Cook County, parties are responsible for paying the following costs for processing a divorce: $337 to open a case and file for divorce, $206 to respond if your ex-spouse files for divorce first,  $60 to have the sheriff serve your spouse with a copy of filings, and  $50 to attend FOCUS on children, court-ordered parenting classes.  These fees may seem minimal, but they typically make up only a portion of the divorce cost in Illinois.  Looking to keep your Illinois divorce costs down? You’re in the right place. Call us 24/7 for a free consultation: (773) 938-4747   Divorce Attorney Retainer Costs Many attorneys require clients to pay a retainer payment. A retainer payment is an advance deposit paid initially to hire the attorney. While the average retainer payment varies from attorney to attorney, retainer payments increase how much it costs to file for divorce in Illinois. Most attorneys require retainer payments to pay for court fees, attorney fees, and other expenses arising in your case. Retainer payments rarely constitute the total divorce costs in Illinois.  Divorce Attorney Hourly Rate  The hourly rate of any potential attorney you hire affects how much a divorce costs in Illinois. For example, even simple issues increase the average cost of your divorce in Illinois if your attorney charges a high hourly rate. Suppose the complexity of your dissolution requires multiple court hearings, trials, and conferences with the attorney representing your ex-spouse. This can increase your divorce costs in Illinois exponentially.  When your potential divorce cost in Illinois represents a significant concern, it’s essential to utilize your attorney’s assistance strategically. You do not want to call your attorney for every little thing, but only legal matters for which you require help and advice.  Other Factors That Affect the Cost of Divorce in Illinois Multiple factors significantly increase the divorce cost in Illinois. Determining whether these factors may come into play in your dissolution process may prepare you for potential costs to consider. Trial When unable to resolve issues, your attorney must represent your interest at trial. A trial requires significant preparation by your attorney and can be expensive. Children When the parties have minor children, the cost of divorce in Illinois often skyrockets. Disputes often arise due to disagreements over child support, child custody, and visitation. Parties may save on the average cost of divorce in Illinois if they agree on issues about the children.  Property When parties own property or multiple pieces of property, divorce costs in Illinois increase. Parties unable to reach an agreement regarding property division must rely on the court to determine who gets what—reaching an agreement as to property division out of court assists in reducing the cost of divorce in Illinois.  Mediation may be an option for parties unable to reach an agreement on multiple issues about their divorce. To save on the divorce cost in Illinois, a skilled mediator may provide solutions to disagreements between parties.  What are the Grounds for Divorce in Illinois?  The type of divorce you pursue can affect the divorce cost in Illinois. The degree to which you are able to cooperate with your spouse will help determine how much a divorce costs in Illinois.  No-Fault Dissolution Formerly, Illinois permitted a spouse to file for dissolution of marriage on fault-based grounds. The grounds for fault-based dissolution included infidelity, cruelty, abandonment, and many others. However, as of January 1, 2016, Illinois legislation eliminated fault-based dissolution and now permits parties to file for divorce under irreconcilable differences. Therefore, a party may file for dissolution of the marriage simply by representing that the marriage is an irretrievably broken union with no hope for reconciliation between the parties. The court then must find that the reconciliation efforts by the parties failed and future attempts to reconcile are impracticable and not in the best interests of the family.  Proving irreconcilable differences requires a showing that the parties have lived apart for at least six months. Once parties establish the six-month separation, the court presumes satisfaction of the irreconcilability requirement. Additionally, you may receive a divorce decree with no waiting period if both parties agree to irreconcilable differences. When both parties agree to irreconcilable differences, this may substantially reduce the cost of your divorce in Illinois. However, even if your spouse disagrees, you may still receive a divorce decree after the six months have passed.  Collaborative Divorce  Collaborative divorce provides another option for cost-sensitive parties and operates similarly to mediation. Attorneys work to resolve differences between parties. Upon resolution, the attorneys draft an agreement reflecting the resolution reached by the parties. Collaborative divorce significantly decreases the average cost of divorce in Illinois by reducing court involvement. How Can Vantage Group Legal Help You Lower Your Divorce Costs?  Vantage Group Legal understands the stress and emotions associated with divorce. We help clients find the best divorce attorney for them! Call our office to discuss your case either in person or virtually with one of our in-house attorneys. In this initial consultation, you advise us of your goals and any concerns you may have regarding divorce costs in Illinois. We...