Divorce Lawyers Rolling Meadows

If you are facing an Illinois divorce, you have an emotional journey ahead, but you also have a serious legal matter that you need to address. In fact, your parental and financial rights are on the line. While your divorce will follow a unique path forward, the one universal piece of advice that applies across the board is that it is in your best interest to work closely with an experienced divorce lawyer in Rolling Meadows. 

Parental Responsibilities

In Illinois, child custody is called parental responsibilities, and these encompass what you likely think of as both legal and physical custody. The legal custody branch of these responsibilities has to do with who will be making important decisions related to matters like the following:

• Your children’s healthcare needs
• Your children’s schooling
• Your children’s extracurriculars
• Your children’s religious education

Options include: 

• You and your ex making the decisions together
• You and your ex making the decisions together, but one of you taking on tie-breaking authority
• One of you making the decisions on your own
• Both of you dividing the decision-making authority according to the kind of decision that is being made. 

Physical custody then determines how you and your children’s other parent will divide your parenting time. If one of you will be the primary custodial parent, it means that the children will reside primarily with this parent (while the other has a visitation schedule). Otherwise, you and your ex will likely share your parenting time more evenly, and if you are able to hammer out the terms between yourselves, the schedule you employ can be whatever works for you. If not, however, you’re likely to receive one of the court’s standard parenting plans.

Child Support

Both you and your children’s other parent have a legal obligation to continue supporting your children financially, and child support helps to ensure that this obligation is balanced between both of you. Child support is calculated in accordance with state guidelines. 

The Division of Marital Property

The assets that you and your spouse acquire during your marriage are marital, and upon divorce, they must be divided equitably, which means fairly (in light of wide-ranging relevant factors). While separate property that was yours before the marriage and you kept separate will remain separate, the line between separate and marital is often blurred. 

Alimony

Alimony will not play a role in your divorce unless one of you can demonstrate a financial need stemming from the divorce and the other has the financial means to help. Generally, alimony is intended to last only as long as the recipient needs to become more financially independent (usually through education or the acquisition of job skills). 

An Experienced Divorce Lawyer in Rolling Meadows Can Help

The trusted divorce lawyers at SLG Family Law in Rolling Meadows have the experience, keen legal insight, and perseverance to help guide your case toward a favorable resolution that supports your parental and financial rights. For more information, please don’t wait to contact us today.