Do you want the cheapest divorce in Illinois? The cheapest divorce lawyer in Illinois? If you do, then you are likely interested in an uncontested divorce in Illinois.
As an uncontested divorce lawyer, I help clients quickly get divorced in a way that’s affordable.
The process for an uncontested divorce
Fake cheap
Have you seen any of those ads for a divorce for $199 – or some other price.
Do you know what those are? Some of those websites are actually owned by foreign companies that are almost impossible to directly contact. Do you want to speak with someone? Good luck.
Oh, by the way, they take all of your personal identity information including:
- birthdates – for you and your kids
- social security numbers
- account numbers
- addresses
So I call those websites “Fake Cheap” because they seam cheap, but you might pay the real price in identity theft.
And do you know what they don’t tell you? They don’t tell you how much court costs are – because they want you to think they can solve all your problems for under $200. What a joke.
Who can get an uncontested divorce?
There is as lot of misinformation out there about uncontested divorce.
For example, some people think they cannot get an uncontested divorce because of the following reasons:
- They own real estate
- They own a business
- They are self-employed
- They have kids
Whether you own business, real estate, or have kids – you can still get an uncontested divorce in Illinois. While it is true that the flat fee for an uncontested divorce can vary based on your situation – you can still get it done.
I’ve handled uncontested divorces for doctors, business owners, delivery drivers, artists, media personalities, and stay-at-home parents.
I offer a flat-fee to represent people in an uncontested divorce. For a bit more about that, check out this article.
Why is an uncontested divorce cheap?
An uncontested divorce in Illinois is relatively cheap because it is agreed – meaning there is no fighting in court.
Below is a basic explanation of the process:
- Meeting with a divorce lawyer: As your divorce lawyer, I will interview you and determine the relevant information. Meeting in person is often not necessary. Most information-gathering can be done on the phone, or online.
- Drafting the paperwork: As your divorce lawyer, I draft all the paperwork and forms. This include a petition for dissolution (what start’s the process), a marital settlement agreement (MSA), a joint parenting agreement (JPA) (if necessary), and a judgement for dissolution (the court order that says you are divorced). There are also a number of other court forms that don’t contain terms of the divorce but are still essential to the process (I won’t bore you with what all those are here).
- Reviewing paperwork: You review the documents I draft. Once you approve, your spouse reviews the documents, and signs where necessary.
- Filing paperwork: With the the process I used, all the paper work is filed at once, for a streamlined process. It is possible to expedite this process by filing electronically in Cook, DuPage, and McHenry counties.
- Finalizing the divorce: An uncontested divorce is finalized through a court appearance called a “prove up.” A prove up is essentially a chance for the important elements of the agreement to be put on the record, and for the judge to ask any questions he or she deems necessary. The person who filed for divorce must be there, the other person need not be there. With the process I use, the prove up is the only time my uncontested divorce clients go to court.
How NOT to get a cheap divorce:
If you don’t wan to spend a lot of money on your divorce lawyer, joint the club!
But I want to tell you something – don’t use your family and friends as lawyers. Just because someone you know got divorce doesn’t mean that know what you should do.
That will not help you get a cheap divorce?
Many people call me and spend half the phone call talking about what some uncle or friend told them. Or maybe they waste time talking about some person they know that got divorce and what happened in that divorce. That type of stuff is almost always a waste of time.
Don’t compare other peoples’ divorces to yours and spend time wasting time. Call your own lawyer and get the job done.
If your divorce is uncontested, it can be fast, and affordable.
Alternative route to cheap divorce
Sometimes people want an uncontested divorce but cannot quite reach an agreement. That’s where divorce mediation can come in.
Divorce mediation is a process whereby a third-party neutral helps people reach an agreement. Once the agreement is reached, then you can move on to a fast and affordable uncontested divorce in Illinois.
If you are interested in learning more about mediation, check out this article.