Professional Chicago Spousal Support Attorneys Serving IL Including Lake Forest, Lisle, and Chicago Areas

During your marriage, you may have relied upon both you and your spouse’s income to meet your monthly obligations and pay daily living expenses. Depending on your situation, you may have even sacrificed your own career success to support children or other family members. Contemplating a marital separation or going through divorce proceedings, you may have serious concerns about how you will support yourself and maintain your lifestyle on your own.  

At the Women’s Divorce & Family Law Group, our Chicago divorce attorneys understand how important spousal support can be in helping you establish your independence and move on with your life. With our experience in Illinois divorce law, we can help guide you in getting the settlement amount you are entitled to.

Determining Spousal Support in Illinois

Under the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (750 ILCS 5/504), maintenance is used in Illinois to describe what was formerly known as alimony. During a separation or divorce proceedings, a maintenance award from the court may be sought ordering one spouse to pay the other a certain amount in financial support, regardless of marital conduct. In determining whether spousal support is justified in your case, the court will consider numerous factors, including:

• The duration of the marriage;
• Income and assets for each spouse;
• Any debts and liabilities they are obligated to pay;
• Current and future earning potential of the spouse seeking maintenance;
• Any childcare or education needs that could impair earnings;
• The lifestyle the parties enjoyed during the marriage;
• Any pre-or post-nuptial agreements currently in effect.

If maintenance is awarded, the court will determine both the amount as well as the length of time for which it is to be paid. As spousal support is a formal court order, it is legally enforceable. If your spouse refuses to pay or falls behind in payments, they could be facing penalties including wage garnishment and potential jail time.

How Our Illinois Women’s Spousal Support Attorney Can Help You

If you are contemplating divorce and seeking spousal support, or if you have an existing maintenance order that is not being enforced, contact the Women’s Divorce & Family Law Group. We act as a strong legal advocate on your behalf, defending your rights and assisting you in getting the maintenance amount you need to recover, both during and after your divorce. We serve Chicago, Lake Forest, Lisle, and the surrounding areas; call or contact our office online for a confidential case review.