A joint simplified divorce is a court process that makes it easier to get a divorce. It can be used to end a marriage or civil union. To get a joint simplified divorce:
- You and your spouse must agree on all of the terms of the divorce;
- You must agree that your marriage has broken down and cannot be repaired;
- You must file court forms and appear in court together with your spouse;
- You or your spouse must be a resident of Illinois for the past 90 days;
- You and your spouse must currently be living separate and apart;
- Your marriage cannot be longer than 8 years;
- You cannot have any children with your spouse;
- You or your spouse must not be pregnant by the other spouse, or in the process of adopting a child;
- You or your spouse cannot own any real estate;
- You and your spouse cannot hold any retirement benefits jointly and the combined value of any benefits either of you hold individually must be less than $10,000;
- The total marital property, minus debts, must be less than $50,000;
- You or your spouse individually cannot make more than $30,000 per year, before taxes;
- You and your spouse together cannot make more $60,000 per year, before taxes;
- You or your spouse must not depend on each other for support;
- You and your spouse must agree to waive the right to support;
- You and your spouse must show your tax returns to each other for each year of the marriage; AND
- You and your spouse must agree to divide all property you got during the marriage that is worth more than $100, and all debts taken on during the marriage.
If you meet all of the qualifications above, you and your spouse can file a petition together for joint simplified divorce.
- Cook County: Use the Joint simplified divorce in Cook County program to create your petition.
- Lake County: Use the Joint simplified divorce in Lake County forms.
- Other Counties: Check with your local circuit clerk for the forms you need.
Comments
(0)