You must first respond to the divorce papers you received. To respond, you must file an Appearance form and an Answer form with the court by the deadline. You may also file a Counter-Petition for divorce.
The fastest way to get a divorce in Illinois is to get an uncontested divorce. This requires that you and your spouse agree on all issues. If you can get your spouse to sign an Entry of Appearance, Waiver and Consent form (Form-540-Entry-of-Appearance-Waiver-and-Consent.
A divorce can be done completely without an attorney. However, there are key benefits to having an attorney. If you didn't hire an attorney at all, you'd need to file the paperwork, serve your spouse, figure out all the court hearings, mediation sessions, agreement creation, and everything else all on your own.
Default: To obtain a default judgement and finalize the divorce without your spouse's participation, you must: Receive permission from the judge through a court order. Complete a Motion for Default, an Affidavit as to Military Service, and a Proof of Delivery and e-File them.
A complaint where the plaintiff (or, in limited cases, the plaintiff's counsel) swears to the allegations, demonstrating to a court that the plaintiff has investigated the charges against the defendant and found them to be of substance.
Certified copies are available from the circuit court clerk in the county where the dissolution of marriage was granted.
In Illinois, obtaining a divorce without legal representation, including handling matters such as spousal maintenance, is possible. One spouse must have lived in the state for 90 days before filing for divorce, per Illinois divorce law; this is a requirement in most states.
What is a Proof of Service & Affidavit of Mailing? o Before you file a document with the court, you must send a copy to each of the other parties, and you must send it in one of several particular ways. A Proof of Service shows the court how you sent a copy of a document to each of the other parties in the case.
How long do you have to be separated before you can get a divorce in Illinois? You must be separated from your spouse for six months in order to file for divorce in Illinois.
Filing for Divorce through Mediation Settling prior to trial makes financial sense. Spouses in Illinois have the option to settle through a process known as mediation, which allows parties to file for divorce without a lawyer. Mediation negotiations allow both parties to mutually agree on relevant issues.