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Illinois Family Law -- Legal Fees -- Keeping Fees Low

My best advice is to first know what the law in Illinois provides regarding your rights and responsibilities. Second, sit down with your spouse in a neutral location (like a restaurant) where you are not likely to argue about the whys and "who-did-what to whoms" -- and work out the basic outline of your divorce on a piece of notebook paper. Then bring it to an attorney (preferably ME at 630.434.0400 Ext. 165 -grin-) and have them prepare a settlement agreement for you. Your spouse can get an attorney to review the document independently, but it is not required. Our ethics rules prevent us from representing both you and your spouse, but the spouse may choose to avoid hiring an attorney if the settlement is straightforward.

I always tell clients that they are the most important factor deciding how long and how much money it will cost. In the majority of cases, deciding a fair division of property and debt and deciding on parenting (custody and visitation) is fairly clear cut. It is up to the parties (you and your spouse) to decide whether your anger and pain about "why" and who is "at fault" will get in the way of a settlement. People should hire lawyers to help them with this process--naturally we like to make money--but trying to "get back" at your spouse through a lawyer is probably the most wasteful thing you can do. You need the money to get on with your life. We tell people that we are not in the revenge business. We won't take on a client with totally unrealistic expectations of what can be achieved. The best thing we can do for you is work out a fair deal as cheaply and quickly as possible. The divorce process is not like a fine wine--it does not get better with age!

Please call attorney Raiford Palmer at 630.434.0400 Ext. 165 for a free consultation.

We also handle many other areas of law. Don't hesitate to ask if you have any legal question.

posted by Raiford Palmer at 9:48 AM

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