Divorce Attorney Arlington Heights

If you and your spouse have made the difficult decision that you need a divorce, you’ve made the divorce decision on your own, or you’ve been served with divorce papers, you are facing a challenging emotional journey. Divorce, however, is also a critical legal matter that will directly affect not only your finances but also your parental rights. This is exactly why consulting with an experienced divorce attorney in Arlington Heights early in the process is so important. 

Your Rights and Responsibilities as a Parent

If your divorce involves shared children, one of the primary concerns is your rights and responsibilities as a parent. In the State of Illinois, these are divided into parental responsibilities and parenting time. Parental responsibilities guide how you and your ex will tackle the matter of making primary parenting decisions, such as those related to the following:

• Where your children attend school
• The medical care your children receive
• The extracurricular activities and travel your children engage in
• The religious education your children receive

You and your ex can make these decisions between yourselves, but additional options include:

• One of you being awarded tie-breaking authority for any decisions that you are unable to reach a consensus regarding
• You and your ex dividing the responsibility according to the kind of decision that needs to be made
• One of you making these important decisions on your own

Parenting time sets the schedule by which you and your children’s other parent will divide your time with your shared children. The basic categories include splitting the number of overnights each of you has with your children somewhat equally or one of you becoming the primary custodial parent who has the children for the majority of overnights.

The Division of Marital Property

In Illinois, the assets that you and your spouse acquire as a married couple are categorized as marital property, and in the event of divorce, these assets must be divided between you fairly (in relation to a wide range of factors that are deemed relevant). The division of marital property is – along with child custody arrangements – one of the divorce terms that is most likely to become contentious.

Child Support

Child support helps to ensure that both parents continue to support their children financially – in relation to each parent’s ability to do so. While many variables go into the calculation of child support, the parent who is the higher earner usually pays child support. 

Alimony

Only if one spouse is left with the inability to support himself or herself financially – while the other has the means to help – does alimony play a role in an Illinois divorce. 

Discuss Your Case with an Experienced Divorce Attorney in Arlington Heights Today

The practiced divorce attorneys at SAM LAW OFFICE, LLC, in Arlington Heights recognize how challenging divorce can be and dedicate their practice to skillfully helping clients like you obtain divorce terms that support their rights and work for them. We are on your side, so please don’t wait to contact us for more information today.