Roadmap to Divorce

If you are considering a divorce – or have already made the difficult decision that divorce is right for you – you need an experienced Chicago divorce lawyer as your guide. The results of your divorce will directly affect you and your children’s future, and while every divorce follows its own unique course, there is a basic roadmap to divorce that can help you move forward with greater ease. 

Making the Decision to Divorce

Making the decision to divorce is a very personal process that you must travel on your own (with, perhaps, the guidance of confidants whom you trust. While your divorce lawyer isn’t the person for this job, he or she can help you better understand what divorce could mean for you financially and in terms of your living situation with your children. Knowing how the divorce basics will likely apply in your situation can help you make a better-informed decision about whether a divorce is right for you. 

Finding the Right Attorney for You

A very important step in the divorce process is finding an attorney who checks all of the following boxes:

• An attorney with whom you are comfortable sharing the details of your marriage
• An attorney who takes the time to help you better understand the divorce process and who carefully guides you through every step of that process
• An attorney who understands your divorce priorities and is well prepared to skillfully advocate for terms that uphold these priorities
• An attorney who is upfront about your case’s strengths and challenges moving forward

Finding the right attorney for you needn’t be overly complicated, and having the right attorney in your corner can help you proceed with increased confidence and focused purpose. 

Taking Stock along the Way 

Ultimately, the majority of divorcing couples are able to successfully negotiate their disagreements and come to mutually agreed upon terms to settle their case before proceeding to trial, and your case will probably be no exception. Your divorce attorney will help you strategize and negotiate for favorable terms throughout the process and will help you recognize when accepting specific terms is in your best interests. If your case does end in court, you and your accomplished divorce attorney will be well prepared for that eventuality.  

The Divorce Process

Once you’ve begun working with a well-established divorce attorney, you’ll move through the following steps on the path toward divorce:

• Filing the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage
• Exchanging financial disclosures with your divorcing spouse
• Hammering out parental responsibility arrangements, including the allocation of parenting time or visitation (the court tends to support maintaining the status quo)
• Exchanging requested information and documentation (often financial in nature) with your divorcing spouse (called discovery)
• Engaging in trial prep if settlement is not forthcoming
• Settling or moving forward to trial

It’s Time to Consult with an Experienced Chicago Divorce Attorney

The dedicated Chicago divorce lawyers at The Law Offices of George M. Sanders have an impressive range of experience successfully guiding cases like yours toward favorable resolutions, and we’re committed to helping you, too. To learn more, please reach out by contacting us today.