For years, ex-wives often got the short end of the stick in divorce settlements. After spending years raising children, they are often left with little money and zero skills to help them earn a living. Recent changes in the Illinois divorce law are designed to address those issues and provide spouses with a fairer settlement.
Revision in terms
Custody and visitation were eliminated from the new law and replaced with parental responsibilities and parenting time, respectively. That means parents must agree on who will get the kids, when to visit and how they will make decisions that impact their children’s lives, like decisions that involve health, extracurricular activities, religion and education.
New rules for alimony
In the past, plenty of downstate judges opted not to award maintenance at all. Payment levels were also hard to predict. Under the new divorce law, though, the spouse who earns more must pay 30 percent of his/her income, minus 20 percent of the spouse’s income, reports the Chicago Tribune.
Longer maintenance period
The new law also makes it easy for the courts these days to grant maintenance payments, for much longer periods of time. In addition, judges used to set child support first before sorting out how much would be leftover for maintenance payments. Now, maintenance payments must first be set, followed by adjustments to the child support and other payments, to find the desired income balance.
Does it apply to you?
Changes in the new law, though, are only applicable to couples with a combined income of $250,000. If you and your spouse fit the bill, then these changes can help you get a fairer settlement out of the divorce.
Finding help
For more information on how the new divorce law affects you and your spouse, consult with woman’s divorce law firm in Chicago. Find an experienced, aggressive and dedicated woman’s divorce law firm in Chicago to stand for your rights in court.
