A Short Guide on How to File for Divorce in Pekin IL
While we all do our best to preserve our relationships, not every marriage is meant to last. And if you find this being the case for yourself and your current spouse, it’s time to consider next steps. As such, those next steps might involve how to file for divorce in Pekin IL. Trust the legal professionals at Brave Law Center, P.C. for further guidance on the matter to show you how to begin.
The Divorce Filing Process
While filing for divorce, there are multiple documents to prepare and several matters for which a decision must be made. And for help during or after the process, you can count on the attorneys at Brave Law Center for assistance.
- Meeting Requirements – The first step to any divorce is ensuring you meet the requirements for filing a divorce in Illinois. For example, you or your spouse must be a resident of the state for at least 90 days before filing. Additionally, you must have “grounds” for the divorce. However, Illinois is a “No-Fault” state, meaning you don’t need to cite a “legal” reason for grounds of divorce. Irreconcilable differences are enough for a court to accept your divorce filing.
- Preparing Forms – Depending on how long a relationship is, if you have any children, the amount of property you jointly own, etc., there can be a significant amount of forms to complete. For filing in Tazewell County, forms are available online. However, for help navigating these forms and correctly filling them out, an attorney from Brave Law can assist.
- Filing – Once your forms are ready, you must file them with your county’s (Tazewell) clerk office. Alongside filing, you’ll also pay a filing fee, which usually ranges between $200 and $350. And once your filing is processed and approved, it can be served to your spouse (if you are the only one doing the initial filing).
- Decision of Divorce – The following steps are important and relate to how the remainder of your divorce case will proceed. You must determine whether or not your case needs to be seen by a judge. In many scenarios, divorce negotiations can be resolved between you, your spouse and a mediator (such as Brave Law), so you don’t need to involve a judge. However, if differences in child custody, property division, etc., cannot be decided upon, your case will proceed to court.
How Brave Law Can Help
The attorneys at Brave Law don’t only show you how to file for divorce in Pekin IL, but they can assist with the filing. Furthermore, our team can play a role in negotiations with your spouse, divorce mediation, representation in court and more. No matter what part of your divorce you’re at, our team can lend a hand.
Or, if requiring help with more specific family law matters, such as custody agreements, child support, visitation rights and more, you can call Brave Law Center, P.C. today. Contact us at 309-685-7900 to request a Request Reservation. Also, we are located at 330 NE Perry Ave, Peoria, IL 61603.