Mount Prospect Divorce Attorney

One of the most stressful aspects of divorce is uncertainty. Your entire life is about to change radically. Your children will have questions. Your family will have questions. Your spouse may or may not be on board with the decision. At SAM LAW OFFICE LLC, we understand that you are preparing for a better future. Our passion and expertise are exactly what you need to see it through.

Types of Divorce in Illinois

There are all kinds of ways to dissolve a marriage. While we are used to seeing highly contentious divorces dramatized in film and television, there is no reason why your divorce has to look like a high-conflict drama. 

• Uncontested divorce – Uncontested divorces involve two spouses who have agreed to work out the essential elements of divorce together. This includes child support and custody, alimony, and property division. The couple presents their divorce decree to the court, and the court rules on its validity. Typically, a court will only overturn issues related to custody if they are not in the children’s best interests. Uncontested divorces are faster and simpler than contested divorces.

• Mediation and divorce – Mediation is a process for resolving key issues related to your divorce. A mediator will help both parties find a middle ground. In some cases, the court will require the parties to mediate their divorce before pursuing more aggressive measures. But mediation can also be entered into voluntarily.

• Collaborative divorce – A middle ground between mediation and litigation is collaborative divorce. Collaborative law operates on a different modality than adversarial law. Both parties sign an agreement stating that neither party will threaten litigation or otherwise disrupt the collaborative process. Experts are brought in to discuss issues with both parties. Collaborative divorce is great for couples who want a stress-free divorce but are finding it difficult to reach an agreement. Threatening litigation ends the collaborative divorce process. A cooperative divorce leaves the door open to litigation.

• Arbitration and divorce – Couples who are stalemated on key issues can ask an arbitrator to decide key issues rather than a judge. Arbitration is generally used by high-asset couples to protect their financial privacy during their divorce.
• Cooperative divorce – Cooperative divorces are similar to collaborative divorces, but a threat of litigation would not derail the entire process. Cooperative divorces leave that door open.

What Type of Divorce is Right for Me?

Choosing the right type of divorce proceeding will require you to discuss the situation in detail with your attorney. The Mount Prospect divorce attorneys at SAM LAW OFFICE LLC have helped hundreds of divorcing spouses dissolve their marriage according to their interests and needs. We have the experience you need to handle issues related to complex property division, high-asset divorces, and child custody issues. Call today to learn more.