When you are preparing for a divorce, parental responsibilities proceeding, or any other matter of family law, the attorney you choose can absolutely affect the outcome of your case. You need a lawyer who is not only knowledgeable and well-versed in the law, but also shares your values and who can incorporate them in advocating on your behalf. To find the right attorney, you will need to consider a number of factors. Before making a final decision, interview several potential candidates and do not be afraid to ask lots of questions such as:

What is your experience?

Does the attorney practice primarily family law or is he or she a personal injury lawyer that sometimes handles divorce cases? The level of commitment you can expect is often evident in the answer to this question.

How many cases do you handle and how many go to trial?

Some attorneys thrive on litigation, while others see the courtroom as a battlefield of last resort. A high rate of litigated cases can mean one of two things: the attorney accepts a large number of clients who stubbornly refuse to negotiate; or the lawyer may struggle with finding mutually acceptable solutions.

If you and your spouse are at the point where divorce has transformed from a possibility to a near-certainty, it is time to start thinking about the road ahead. Obviously, it is important to consider your post-divorce life, including where you might live and restructuring your household budget to account for your changing financial circumstances. However, the divorce process itself requires a significant amount of planning and consideration, and being intentional about it can help reduce your stress and confusion.

Deciding to Work Together

A divorce does not need to be nasty and chaotic. In fact, Illinois law includes a number of provisions that encourage divorcing spouses to negotiate, cooperate, and develop workable agreements. If you hope to do so, you and your spouse will need to decide early on that this is what you want. By committing to cooperation, your informal conversations can start right away, and the conclusions that you reach can be later captured in your formal agreement. Of course, your initial commitment is just the first step. You might need to remind yourself repeatedly that cooperation is better than months of drawn-out bitterness.

Taking Stock

As soon as you realize that a divorce is likely, you can begin taking notes about what your ideal divorce settlement might look like. Make a list of everything that you and your spouse own, including physical assets like your home, vehicles, or furniture, as well as your investments and any debts. It is also a good idea to think about possible parenting arrangements for your children if you have any. Even if your final agreement turns out to be much different than you expect, your initial notes can provide a starting point for negotiations.

You did not get married in the hope or intention that, one day, you would get divorced. If you and your spouse are like most people, you almost certainly walked down the aisle with fantasies of a happy life together, no matter what obstacles life put in your way. The reality, however, is that the “happily ever after” ending is not always possible for a given couple—at least not together. Fortunately, it may be possible for you to re-establish yourself in the wake of your divorced and to find the happiness you never dreamed possible, especially as you struggled through an unhappy or unhealthy marriage.

Free to Be You

When you entered into your marriage, you likely gave up some of yourself. Many spouses sacrifice party of their identity in order to forge a new one as a couple. Investing in the marriage is not always a bad thing, but when the relationship goes south, it can make you feel like you lost a part of yourself. During and after you divorced, take some time to discover who you are now, who you wish to be in the future, and how you might get there. Give yourself the liberty to look into new hobbies and ideas—maybe even career choices. It is no longer important what your spouse thinks or wants. This time is about you. Regaining a sense of yourself can help you acclimate to your post-divorce life.

If you have considered ending your marriage or have decided to divorce, you probably have questions about what will happen to all the accumulated property you and your spouse have. If you and your soon-to-be-ex are able to, you may decide how you divide things like residential property, furniture, vehicles, collectables, and bank accounts on your own. However, if you and your spouse are not able to come to an agreement about property division, the courts will be forced to intervene.

Illinois Courts Divide Property Based on What Is Equitable

States differ significantly on how property division is handled during divorce. Some states simply split a couples’ combined estate 50/50 and give half of all property or assets to one spouse and half to the other. Illinois, on the other hand, uses a set of guidelines called “equitable distribution” to divide assets during divorce. This method does not necessarily divide assets equally, but instead takes into consideration many factors to decide what is the most reasonable and fair way to distribute property.

A divorce can be an extremely expensive undertaking in terms of both money and time invested. As a matter of fact, most individuals who are thinking about a divorce tend to ask about the associated costs as one of their first questions. It is impossible to predict exactly how much your divorce will cost you, as the related expenses can vary dramatically from case to case. Your costs will largely depend on the circumstances of your situation, the level of cooperation between you and your spouse, and your expectations regarding the outcome.

Planning Ahead

Preparation is among the most important ways that you can facilitate a cost-effective divorce. Your planning should begin several months before you file your divorce petition. To begin, make a comprehensive list of what you own, including both marital and non-marital property, and think about what your priorities are. Decide which things you want to keep, which things your spouse can have, and which things could go either way. If both of you agree that a divorce is your best course of action, you may be surprised at how well can cooperate at this point.