Illinois

Divorce Residency Requirements To Get Divorce In Illinois

For divorce to occur in the state of Illinois, at least one of the filers must have lived in the state for a minimum of 90 days.

Reasons For Divorce In Illinois

As of 2016, the only ground for divorce in Illinois is irreconcilable differences with the parties having lived separate and apart without cohabitation for at least six months.

Custody Of The Children In Illinois

In the state of Illinois, parties may agree to either joint or sole legal and physical custody. Legal custody gives parents the right to participate in decision-making issues regarding the children. Legal custody is not the same as physical custody, which determines where a child will live and how much time he or she spends with another parent who is not the residential parent. In a contested situation, the court may award either joint or sole legal custody. The court also determines physical custody arrangements.

The court determines custody based on the best interest of the child, keeping in mind the wishes of the parent as well as those of a mature child. The court also considers a bond between the parent, child, and any siblings as well as the child’s adjustment to home, school, neighborhood, and siblings.

Illinois Child Support Guidelines

Illinois has standard state child support guidelines. These guidelines will apply in almost every case. Following these guidelines, both spouses’ gross income will be used in calculating certain child-related expenses. Child support continues until the child reaches at least age 18 or until the child graduates from high school, whichever occurs later. Support may be extended through the child’s secondary education.

Venue

Filing your online divorce in the state of Illinois is easy because there is flexibility when it comes to choosing a venue. Divorce in Illinois can be filed in the county where either of the spouses has an established residence. More information on what is considered establishing a residence will be given when you begin the divorce forms process using Divorce.com.

Divorce Mediation

Mediation is strongly encouraged in the state of Illinois. Mediation can allow the case to proceed as an uncontested divorce. Utilizing mediation may allow a case to be processed using the easy, fast, services of Divorce.com.

Filing Fees

The fees to file a divorce within the Illinois state court are in addition to the cost of using Divorce.com. Filing fees vary from county to county. For the exact amount, we provide an easy way to look up the filing fees for your area. This ensures that you have a clear picture of all expenses specific to your situation before moving forward.