Although divorce is a heated emotional affair, people who are getting divorced need to be cool-headed and strategic. This can be difficult, especially because most people getting divorced have never been divorced before and have very little experience with the legal system. For some, getting divorced without the help of an attorney is a possibility because their divorce is uncomplicated, uncontested, and reading complex legal content and filling out forms is not intimidating. For others, however, the prospect of getting divorced without legal help is something of a nightmare. Here are three reasons you may want to work with an Illinois divorce attorney. 

Filing Forms

Determining which forms to fill out, which information to provide, and where to submit the forms can be a complex process. The forms need to be filled out correctly and even small mistakes can cause major delays because court dates may need to be rescheduled. Clerks and judges cannot help you fill out forms and cannot give legal advice. An attorney has experience filling out the forms, checking them for errors, and making sure that you provide all the necessary information to the right sources. 

Legal Advice

Your friends and family have your best interests at heart, but when it comes to divorce, you need real, unbiased legal advice. Your situation is going to be just a little different from everyone else’s, and even someone who has been recently divorced cannot give you tailored legal advice. It is easy to make mistakes that have long-term consequences, especially in terms of child-related issues and finances. Avoid these mistakes and others by having the counsel of an attorney who can advise you throughout the divorce process. 

Divorce is frequently rated as one of the most difficult experiences a person can have - more difficult, even than the death of a spouse. While everybody’s experience with divorce is different, the negative effects of divorce are common enough that research has been done that links divorce with specific negative health outcomes. 

There is some question as to whether correlation equals causation; for example, are people more likely to have heart disease because they got divorced, or did they get divorced because they were high-stress individuals and high stress also correlates to higher levels of heart disease? While more research is needed to answer these questions definitively, it is helpful to understand some of the potential negative health effects of divorce in Illinois so you can prepare yourself to avoid them. 

Physical and Emotional Stress

While emotional health is often discussed separately from physical health, the two are closely intertwined. Experts say that mental stress before, during, and after divorce makes people significantly more likely to develop heart disease. Even when divorced people get remarried, the stress of a divorce can accelerate biological processes that lead to cardiovascular disease. Be sure to exercise, eat well, and practice calming forms of self-care to manage your stress during divorce. 

When you are older and you get a divorce, there are many financial uncertainties that you must face. Getting divorced when you are close to retirement or in retirement can be scary. How will your retirement accounts be handled? Will you still be able to retire at the age you are planning on retiring? These are questions that run through the minds of divorcing spouses at any age, but they are especially concerning for older divorcees. Thankfully, the Social Security Administration (SSA) provides ways that you can claim retirement benefits through of your ex-spouse’s retirement benefits, without lowering the amount your spouse receives.

Qualifying for Social Security Benefits

If you are divorced, you may be able to claim benefits from your spouse’s work record, even if you did not work yourself. However, there are certain requirements that you must meet before you are eligible to receive benefits. You may be able to claim these Social Security benefits if:

• You were married to your ex-spouse for at least 10 years or longer.

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One of the most important decisions you will make when going through a divorce is choosing who you will retain to be your divorce attorney. Having the right attorney—one who is not only skilled at his or her craft but also one who you feel comfortable and confident with—is crucial to having a successful divorce.

When meeting with a divorce attorney for the first time, there are several areas that you should make sure you find out information about. These areas include:

Attorney and Legal Fees

The amount an attorney charges, including their hourly rate, any required retainer, and other possible attorney and legal fees, is something that every attorney should be forthcoming with. No one needs any surprise fees, especially while going through such a life-changing event. Although an attorney cannot predict the exact amount your divorce may cost, he or she should be able to explain the standard charges, as well as situations that could come up which could cause those costs to increase.

While the “half of all marriages end in divorce” idea is not entirely accurate, divorce has become a common enough occurrence that many people look to keep their costs down by using do-it-yourself legal websites and filing their own documents. In some cases, this approach may work out fine, but most couples will save time, stress, and yes, even money by working with a qualified divorce attorney. There are many reasons to partner with a skilled lawyer during your divorce, including these most common ones:

1. Experience Matters

A family law firm handles divorce cases every day. This means even relatively young lawyers quickly gain experience with all types of circumstances and unique challenges. Lawyers understand the law, know the local court systems, and are often familiar with the judges themselves. Legal professionals can also bring up important issues that a divorcing couple may not think about when managing a divorce on their own.