Regardless of how amicable a relationship can be undone, there will be certain issues that may become a sticking point. These sticking points may include alimony; they may include, if children are involved, child support; they can also include the division of assets. Rarely is a divorce a pleasurable experience nor is it always an equitable dissolution of a relationship. The job of a good Collaborative Divorce Lawyer in Chicago is to make certain that his or her client’s interests are represented fairly and equitably.
People who decide to get a divorce do not always need to hire a Collaborative Divorce Lawyers . For one, the cost for hiring an attorney can be prohibitive, generally in the thousands of dollars. Secondly, if there are no children or assets involved, it can be a simple matter of filing papers with the courts and each party going on their respective way.
That being said, any marriage that has been in place for any length of time will most likely have some assets– a house, vehicles, home furnishings, tools and equipment, money in the bank, retirement accounts– that will need to be divided. Having the services of an attorney to review those assets and advise on the best way to split them up can save money in the long run.
Some people, for whatever reason, can be hard-pressed to divorce quickly. Maybe they’ve met someone new. Maybe there was infidelity and the anger is driving the quick divorce. In most situations, decisions made along and in a hurry end up costing that person. What a lawyer will do is force the petitioner to slow down, to step back and evaluate the situation with more clarity so that the best decisions for that person can be made.
Divorce Lawyers in Chicago work either on a flat fee arrangement or pay as you go. An uncomplicated divorce– one with relatively few assets and general agreement on most terms between both parties– will cost each person filing around $1,500 to $2,000. That should include the court-mandated filing fee. That way, when you do file with the court, you can feel confident the terms will be approved and you can start to move forward with your life.