How Long Will My Divorce Take in Illinois?

You naturally want to know how long your divorce is going to take. Divorce is never pleasant, and moving beyond the stress of the divorce process is a worthy goal. There is no easy answer, however, to how long your Illinois divorce will take – because obtaining divorce terms that support your best interests and work for you is so critical that it is impossible to pin down an exact timeframe. If you’ve come to the difficult decision that divorce is right for you, consult with an experienced Chicago divorce lawyer today. 

The Residency Requirement

To obtain a divorce in Illinois, one of you must have lived in the state for at least 90 days prior to filing. Further, if the court will be required to rule on issues related to child custody arrangements, your children must have been residents of the state for at least six months prior.

Your Illinois No-Fault Divorce

Most divorces in Illinois are no-fault divorces, which means they aren’t predicated on the fault of one or the other of you. Instead, your divorce will be based on irreconcilable differences – or the irretrievable breakdown of your marriage – as evidenced by you and your spouse living separate and apart for at least two years with no hope of reconciling. This separation requirement can be reduced to six months if both you and your divorcing spouse agree to the reduction in writing. Further, to live separate and apart, you need not live in separate locations but can, instead, simply occupy different areas of your home while you continue to share financial obligations and may even attempt to reconcile. 

Filing for Divorce

One of you will file for divorce by filing a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage with the court, which must also be served on the other spouse (along with a Summons). Such service is usually done through the sheriff’s office or by a private process server, but the responding spouse can also waive the need for service. 

Processing Your Divorce

Your divorce can actually take as little as 30 days to process if you and your soon-to-be-ex are on the same page regarding every divorce component that must be resolved and if the court’s schedule is in your favor. Because the issues of divorce will have such a direct impact on you and your children’s future, however, it’s important not to sacrifice a beneficial outcome for expediency. The major decisions you and your divorcing spouse will need to hammer out include those related to all of the following:

• Your child custody arrangements
• The division of your marital property
• Child support
• Spousal support

Don’t Delay Consulting with a Dedicated Chicago Divorce Lawyer

Obtaining divorce terms that support you and your children’s best interests is key, and the formidable Chicago divorce attorneys at Arami Law are committed to helping you obtain such terms as effectively and efficiently as possible. Your case is important, so please do not delay contacting us for more information today.