A Divorce Lawyer Helping Men & Women in the Edwardsville Illinois Area
Is your family going through a tough time? Are you being served with divorce papers? It’s time you called a local divorce lawyer that has experience with helping men and women in communities throughout the Edwardsville, Illinois area including Alton, Belleville, Collinsville, Edwardsville, Granite City, O’Fallon & surrounding communities throughout Madison & St. Clair Counties. At the Law Office of Robert Elovitz, we provide legal services for families and those that are filing for divorce. As a family-owned firm, we understand the pressure put on your family by these situations, and we’re here help you resolve them while always ensuring that your children are put first and foremost. Call us now for a consultation about your situation.
Divorce Law Practice Areas
In the Edwardsville, Illinois area, people know our name when it comes to family and divorce law. In fact, they know that our team has experience in helping men and women, and they know that we always keep what’s best for any children involved in mind. From simple divorce proceedings to contested divorces that may get messy, we have the resources to help you and your family through this difficult time. We provide assistance with the following aspects of divorce proceedings. Please call for help with the following topics:
- Divorce
- Contested Divorce
- Paternity
- Child Custody
- Allocation of Parental Responsibility
- Child Support Payments
- Alimony/Spousal Support Payments
- Division of Assets/Mediation
- Interstate Divorce Proceedings
- More…
Divorce Requirements
In the State of Illinois, a couple must meet the following requirements for filing a divorce.
- At least one person must have resided in the State of Illinois, or been stationed as a member of the military, for at least 90 days prior to filing.
- You must file the divorce petition in a county where one of the spouses resides.
- Illinois must be the primary residence of one of the spouses.
- When involving children, those children must have resided in the State of Illinois for at last six months prior to filing.
- The petition must include a reason for filing.
Reasons for Divorce
Illinois allows spouses to file for divorce based on fault and no-fault grounds. No-fault divorces must be preceded by spouses living separately for at least two years, using irreconcilable differences as the grounds for divorce. For fault divorces, you may file based on the following things in the State of Illinois:
- One of the spouses is naturally impotent
- Your spouse was already married when you married him/her
- One or both of the spouses engaged in adultery
- Your spouse abandoned you for a year or more
- One or both of the spouses has been addicted to drugs or alcohol for at least two years
- One or both of the spouses has engaged in mental or physical cruelty
- Your spouse attempts to murder you
- You or your spouse is convicted of a crime
- You have infected your spouse with an STD
Contested Divorce
Contested divorces can mean one of two things. First, contested divorces may mean that both parties agree to the divorce, but they do not agree on all the terms, which may include custody of children, allocation of parental responsibilities, support payments and more. In this process, lawyers will attempt to mediate the divorce, and a judge may ultimately decide on the equitable division of the assets.
Another definition of contested divorces may describe a situation where one party is arguing that the other doesn’t have the grounds to complete the divorce, attempting to prohibit the petition from being successful. In the State of Illinois, you can file no-fault divorces, meaning this should not be a problem in most cases.
Uncontested Divorce
Uncontested divorces are a much easier, less expensive process. In this situation, both parties agree on the divorce and most or all of the divorce agreement, leaving a few minor issues, at most to be ironed out by lawyers. These take much less time than contested divorces and are much easier on the families.
Divorce Involving Children
When a divorce involves children, it’s important for the attorney to ensure that they’re kept in mind throughout the process. Many times, parents can get caught up in personal differences that may put the health and well-being of the children at risk. When children are involved, there are a variety of issues that come into play that include the following:
- Parental Responsibility
- Child Custody
- Child Support Payments
- Alimony/Spousal Support
Spousal Support
One of the issues at play is spousal support, also referred to as alimony payments. This is paid by one party to another when it’s determined by a court that the first party is more financially stable than the other, and thus more capable of living on their own. This can be mediated, but it can also be decided by a judge if an agreement is not reached. The amount of spousal support is based on a wide variety of factors that may include the following:
- Pre-Nuptial Agreements
- Post-Nuptial Agreements
- Career Contributions
- Emotional condition
- Health Problems
- Age
- Length of Marriage
- Standard of Living
- Domestic Duties
- Future Earning Capacity
- Present Earning Capacity
- Personal Financial Needs
- Non-Marital Property
- Marital Property
- Income
- More…
Other Family Law Services
- Contested Wills
- Adoption
- Guardianship
- Paternity
- Protection Orders
- Restraining Orders
- Name Changes
- Termination of Parental Rights
- Emancipation
We also provide legal assistance to Alton, Collinsville, Granite City, O’Fallon, and the surrounding areas in Madison County, Illinois.
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