Want a divorce in the new year? Read this!

As any divorce lawyer will tell you, the period of January to March is the busiest time of the year for people starting a divorce in Illinois. If you want to start an uncontested divorce in Illinois right after the new year rolls around, there are a couple things you need to know.

Check out these tips and you be a bit closer to a fresh start after a fast and affordable uncontested divorce in Illinois – with a lawyer.

Online divorce = plague on humanity

Divorce is hard enough. Do you need a shady divorce website scamming you out of your money? I think not.

Maybe you’ve seen these sights, offering divorce for $150 to $250 – and they GUARANTEE your documents will be accepted by the court.

That’s funny, because here is some of what I’ve seen from those companies.

  1. Documents I’ve never seen before: That’s weird, because I’m a divorce lawyer
  2. Documents enabling ID theft: The Illinois Supreme Court says info such as social security numbers shouldn’t be in documents filed with the court. But I’ve seen website-generated documents that have all the info someone would need to steal your identity. What you file is public record – do you want anyone to have an easy way to steal your identity? No!
  3. Substance = Garbage: The most important part of a divorce is not a form or two, but the substantive terms.
  4. Good luck following procedure: Certain procedure must be followed in court. Taking those steps takes time, and time is money. The website cannot help you figure out what to do in court.

I have not once reviewed documents from a divorce document website that adequately protected the client who came to me for help.

Another thing that makes me mad is that those websites are misleading as to the total cost of a divorce in Illinois. People think that the couple hundred bucks they pay the website is all that’s required. But did you know that in Cook County court fees alone are more than $600?

Divorce can be quick, and affordable

Many people think divorce takes a really long time, and is very expensive. That can be true – if you fight it out in court.  But an uncontested divorce in Illinois can be quick, and affordable – with a lawyer.

I use a streamlined process to help people start and finish an uncontested divorce in Illinois. Below I’ve boiled down the process:

  1. You sign up
  2. You give me information
  3. I draft the documents
  4. You and your spouse sign the documents
  5. I file the case and get a court date
  6. We go to court to finalize the divorce

There’s a bit more to it than that, but I just wanted to give you a flavor of how quick and easy it can be to get an uncontested divorce in Illinois.

D0n’t fall for the myths

If at all possible, if you want a divorce, you should try to make sure the divorce is an uncontested divorce in Illinois. Otherwise, you make be making life much more difficult than necessary.

People sometimes fall for divorce myths, and make the wrong choices – leading them to litigate a divorce (instead of getting an uncontested divorce). Here are some myths about divorce:

  1. The judge will punish your spouse for being a jerk: Were you cheated on? Does your spouse hate your guts? Is he or she inconsiderate? Maybe. But if you want to litigate a case and you think that stuff is important, you will be gravely disappointed – most likely after you’ve spent thousands of dollars.
  2. A Rambo-like lawyer will solve your problems: Some lawyers sell themselves by claiming to be able to solve all of someone’s problems. That’s unfortunate. The outcomes of many cases is predictable, and a lawyer who “sells” too much is likely being dishonest. It is better to come to an agreement than to fight it out in court.
  3. The judge will see the truth: The tricky thing about court is that things have to be proven. That means evidence. So if you cannot generate sufficient evidence, things may not go your way. And then you’ve wasted money and time fighting a case based upon beliefs you cannot prove.

Lawyers can be affordable – for a flat fee

I represent people for a flat fee for an uncontested divorce in Illinois. For that flat fee, I complete all the paperwork, file the case, properly serve the other party, advise my client, and go to court to finalize the divorce. It’s a really good deal. So if you want to get a divorce, you can hire an Illinois uncontested divore lawyer for a flat fee.

Just give me a call at 224-300-0529.