One of the primary questions that couples must answer during divorce is this: Will either spouse be financially supported by the other after the divorce?
Did you know that the Illinois legislature recently passed a law that will significantly change the way family law judges answer these questions in our state? If you answered this question “no,” you aren’t alone.
We recently published a white paper entitled “What Illinois’ New Spousal Maintenance Law Will Mean For The Average Divorce.” In this paper, we lay out the changes that are coming to alimony – also called spousal maintenance – in Illinois in a way that makes it easier to understand.
Here is a preview of the information you’ll learn reading that paper:
- In the past, Illinois judges have not needed to follow any specific “rules” when it comes to deciding whether or not one spouse should receive alimony.
- Beginning in January 2015, family law judges here will need to follow a specific formula to determine two things. Should one spouse receive financial support (called spousal maintenance)? If so, how long should he or she receive those payments?
- We’ve explained the new formula and have provided examples of how it will be applied.
It might seem like this change just adds more complexity to the already challenging process of getting divorced. The good news is that this change actually makes it much simpler once you understand the formula.
We encourage you to read the white paper to learn more about the new formula and how it will impact divorce in Illinois.