Arlington Heights Uncontested Divorce Attorneys

Are you ready to move forward? Call (312) 757-8082 to schedule a strategy session with one of our attorneys.

Are you ready to move forward? Call (312) 757-8082 to schedule a strategy session with one of our attorneys.

Frequently Asked Questions

What documents will you review in my uncontested divorce?

The ones the court will be asked to approve. That usually means the marital settlement agreement, the proposed Judgment for Dissolution of Marriage, and, if you have children, the parenting plan. Depending on your case, it can also include a Uniform Order for Support, an order for income withholding, and orders dividing retirement accounts, all of which appear on Cook County’s prove-up order.^[2] We also go through both Financial Affidavits, since Cook County treats the Financial Affidavit as a mandatory disclosure in cases involving property, support, or maintenance.^[3]

How is an uncontested divorce finalized in Cook County?

At a short hearing called a prove-up. An uncontested case can be heard once the parties and their attorneys sign an Uncontested Cause Stipulation, and at the prove-up the court receives the proposed Judgment for Dissolution of Marriage and the signed settlement agreement, along with the other required documents. The judge hears brief testimony and decides whether to approve the agreement and enter the judgment.

Property and maintenance terms bind the court unless it finds the agreement unconscionable, but child support and parenting terms get their own review. If your written agreement and your testimony at the prove-up ever conflict, the written agreement incorporated into the judgment controls. If you have children, both parents generally need to complete an approved parenting education program before the court enters a final judgment on parenting issues.

Where will my Arlington Heights uncontested divorce be heard?

Arlington Heights is in the Third Municipal District of the Circuit Court of Cook County, so a case filed in the district is heard at the Rolling Meadows Courthouse at 2121 Euclid Avenue.^[4] Rolling Meadows is an option, not a requirement, since a Cook County case can also be filed at the Daley Center downtown. Filings generally have to be made electronically, although some filers and filings are exempt.^[5]

Will your attorney represent both me and my spouse?

No. Your Sterling attorney represents you. Your spouse can hire their own attorney to review the agreement. If they choose not to, we can still work out the terms with them directly, but we have to be clear that we do not represent them, and we cannot give them legal advice beyond suggesting they get their own counsel.^[6]

Do I need a lawyer for an uncontested divorce in Illinois?

You are not required to hire one. But the agreement you sign becomes part of a court judgment that can be enforced through contempt, and its property terms cannot be modified later. An attorney’s job in an agreed case is to make sure that judgment says what you meant, covers what it needs to, and still works on the day you have to rely on it.