Cook County Divorce Lawyer

You may be preparing to file, responding to a spouse's petition or trying to understand an existing case. Start by identifying the issues that need attention: parenting, support, maintenance, property or the terms of a proposed agreement. A consultation is a place to discuss those concerns and the scope of legal help you are seeking.

At Chicago Family Attorneys LLC, we focus only on family law. Managing attorney Aaron Korson has been licensed in Illinois since 2019. Our office is at 53 W Jackson Blvd, Suite 752, Chicago, IL 60604. We serve Cook, DuPage, Lake and Will counties.

Our Chicago divorce attorneys can discuss full representation or a defined task through limited-scope representation. The written agreement identifies the covered work. No lawyer can promise a particular result, and outcomes depend on the facts.

County venue and Illinois residency are separate questions. Under 750 ILCS 5/104, proceedings take place in the county where the plaintiff or defendant resides. Process may be directed to any county in Illinois. A Cook County connection should be reviewed before choosing where to file.

Under 750 ILCS 5/401(a), one spouse must have been an Illinois resident, or stationed here in the armed services, when the case began. That residence or presence must have been maintained for 90 days before commencement or the court's finding.

The statute also requires irreconcilable differences that caused the marriage's irretrievable breakdown. Reconciliation efforts must have failed, or future attempts must be impracticable and not in the family's best interests.

Under 750 ILCS 5/401(a-5), if the spouses have lived separate and apart for a continuous period of not less than 6 months immediately before entry of the judgment, there is an irrebuttable presumption that the irreconcilable differences requirement is met. This means the court treats that requirement as established.

Do not choose a courthouse based only on proximity. Assignment and location depend on the case and filing. If DuPage County may be relevant, review our DuPage courthouse and remote hearing information and discuss venue during your consultation.

The Domestic Relations Division hears divorce, maintenance, property division, child support, allocation of parental responsibilities and parenting time. It also hears enforcement and modification matters involving prior judgments. Its main location is the Richard J. Daley Center in Chicago.

Cook County has six municipal districts. This list does not determine where your case belongs. Confirm the assigned location with the Clerk and the court's official site rather than assuming that a particular suburb must use a particular courthouse.

The Clerk's Daley Center office is in Room 802 and can be reached at (312) 603-6441. Daley Center hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Those building hours do not replace your assigned hearing time.

The following steps describe the main issues in a Cook County divorce. They are a general guide, not a filing checklist for every case. Our Illinois divorce stages guide and family law case process guide provide related information.

1. Review venue and residency. Determine whether Cook County is an appropriate county under 750 ILCS 5/104 and review the residency requirements in 750 ILCS 5/401.
2. Prepare the verified petition. Under 750 ILCS 5/403, it includes information such as each spouse's age, occupation and residence, marriage details, children's names, ages and addresses, arrangements concerning support and parental responsibilities, and the relief requested.
3. File electronically unless an exemption applies. Review filing and service questions with a lawyer. Cook County provides e-filing assistance, but technical help does not replace a review of the legal issues.
4. Confirm the assignment and hearing information. New cases are randomly assigned to an individual calendar judge or a judicial team. Check the assigned calendar, location and any posted standing orders.
5. Address temporary needs and parenting issues. Either party may request temporary maintenance or child support under 750 ILCS 5/501. Parenting plans and mediation may also need attention while the case is pending.
6. Address the terms of the divorce. These may include property, maintenance, child support and parental responsibilities. Spouses may make written agreements under 750 ILCS 5/502, subject to the statute's requirements.
7. Proceed toward judgment. Under 750 ILCS 5/401(b), the court must consider, approve, reserve or make provision for allocation of parental responsibilities, child support, maintenance and property before entering the divorce judgment. Issues may be reserved by agreement or on motion with a court finding.

Filing a petition does not establish a fixed completion date. Disputed issues and the facts of the case affect the proceedings.

An individual calendar judge handles a case from the beginning through post-decree matters. A judicial team divides responsibilities: a preliminary judge hears pretrial matters, while trial judges hear contested trials, prove-ups and post-decree matters. Some judges have standing orders posted on the court's site.

The Domestic Relations Division is subject to Part 13 of the Rules of the Circuit Court of Cook County. The court's rules control the exchange of financial information in a Cook County case. Relevant local provisions include 13.3.1 Mandatory Disclosure, 13.3.2 Proof of Income and 13.4 Pre-Trial Phase. Discuss the requirements that apply to your case rather than relying on a general document list alone.

Filings must be electronic, with listed exemptions. E-filing help is available at eFilehelp@cookcountycourt.com or 312-603-5030. If your assigned court has posted remote appearance instructions, our Cook County Domestic Relations remote hearing guide may help, but always confirm the current instructions for your assigned court on the court's official site.

Under 750 ILCS 5/413, judgment is to be entered within 60 days after the closing of proofs, or 90 days if the court enters an order specifying good cause. This is not a deadline measured from filing. The judgment is final when entered, subject to appeal.

Under 750 ILCS 5/602.10(a), all parents must file a proposed parenting plan within 120 days after service or filing of a petition for allocation of parental responsibilities. The court may extend that deadline for good cause. Under 750 ILCS 5/602.10(c), the court shall order mediation to help the parents formulate, modify or implement a parenting plan unless impediments to mediation exist.

Under Cook County's mediation program, mediation is mandatory for initial allocation of parental responsibilities, modification of allocation, relocation and non-parent visitation. Mediation is discretionary for other issues, including financial and discovery disputes. The court may order discretionary mediation even if a party objects.

When parties cannot agree on a mediator for child-related issues, Family Court Services conducts mediation. Parties may agree to a private mediator. The court may refer financial mediation to a court-certified mediator who is an attorney.

Family Court Services is at 69 W. Washington St., Suite 1000, Chicago, and its phone number is (312) 603-1540. It also provides parent education, emergency intervention, home studies, evaluations and the Children and Teens Speak program.

Our Chicago divorce mediation attorneys can discuss mediation in the context of your case. Bring any existing parenting orders and proposed arrangements to your consultation.

Temporary financial needs and final divorce terms are different questions. Under 750 ILCS 5/501, a request for temporary maintenance or child support includes a financial affidavit supported by documents such as tax returns, pay stubs and bank statements.

Under 750 ILCS 5/502, spouses may agree in writing about property, maintenance, support and parental responsibilities. Terms other than children's support and parental responsibilities bind the court unless it finds the agreement unconscionable. The court decides parenting issues according to the child's best interests under 750 ILCS 5/602.5 and 750 ILCS 5/602.7. An agreed parenting plan binds the court unless the court finds it is not in the child's best interests (750 ILCS 5/602.10(d)). An agreement should be reviewed in light of the specific facts, not treated as interchangeable with another family's settlement.

Limited-scope representation is a flat fee for a defined task, quoted after a consultation and usually paid up front, though in some cases in two installments.

Full representation starts with an initial payment of $1,500 to $2,500, followed by $500 to $650 per month beginning 30 days after the initial payment while representation remains active. It covers drafting, hearings, motions and phone calls within the agreed scope.

An attorney-handled uncontested divorce is a $1,500 flat fee (court filing fees not included).

Enforcement of a court order: an individually quoted upfront amount plus $350 per hour.

Court filing costs, expert fees, service costs and evaluation costs are separate. The client pays them and the firm does not advance them. The written agreement confirms the fee, covered work and expenses before engagement. Fee ranges shown are not a quote for your matter. Call 312-965-5618 for a quote.

• Review the family law pricing overview.
• Review the covered work on our contested divorce fee page and uncontested divorce fee page.
• Read about limited-scope representation fees.
• For an existing order, review court order enforcement fees.

Bring the information you have so the consultation can focus on your concerns and the legal work you are seeking. This is a discussion list, not a statement of everything the court requires.

• Any filed petition, existing judgment, court orders and hearing information.
• Marriage details and each spouse's residence information.
• Children's names, ages, addresses and current parenting arrangements.
• Available tax returns, pay stubs and bank statements.
• Information about property and any written agreements.
• Questions about disputed issues, representation scope and fees.

If you already have a case, include the assigned calendar and courthouse information. If you are considering filing, explain your county connections and the issues you expect the divorce to address.

Book a free consultation. Initial consultations are free for people seeking to hire an attorney. Call 312-965-5618 to discuss a Cook County divorce matter with Chicago Family Attorneys LLC.

• Cook County Domestic Relations Division
• Cook County mediation program for Domestic Relations cases
• Cook County Family Court Services
• Cook County information about Domestic Relations cases
• 750 ILCS 5/104: Venue
• 750 ILCS 5/401: Dissolution requirements
• 750 ILCS 5/403: Petition and proceedings
• 750 ILCS 5/413: Judgment
• 750 ILCS 5/501: Temporary relief
• 750 ILCS 5/502: Agreements
• 750 ILCS 5/602.5: Allocation of decision-making responsibilities
• 750 ILCS 5/602.7: Allocation of parenting time
• 750 ILCS 5/602.10: Parenting plans and mediation
• Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County
• Richard J. Daley Center location and hours

Bring your questions and the documents you have. The initial consultation is free for people seeking to hire an attorney, and the firm confirms its fee and the covered work in writing before you engage it. Call 312-965-5618 or book online.