When a couple separates in anticipation of divorce, they may have decided that the separation is the beginning of the end. If the couple agrees that they are ready for divorce, there is a welcome change in the revisions to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act that went into effect at the beginning of this year.

Faster Proceedings

Under the old version of the law, a separated couple had to remain separate and apart for two years before filing for divorce. There was an exception that if the couple could agree and sign a waiver, they could file for divorce sooner, as soon as six months after the separation. Under this year’s changes, no period of separation is required before spouses are able to pursue a divorce.

If you are going through divorce proceedings or considering initiating a divorce, you may have questions about how getting divorced in Illinois may affect your tax liability, especially if tax season is nearing. Dealing with taxes in the midst of a divorce can be problematic and fraught with emotion, and the process becomes even more complex when the taxes themselves are complicated.

Going through a divorce is stressful enough, and worrying about how the divorce may affect your taxes should not be something you need to handle alone. No matter what your tax situation looks like, an experienced Illinois divorce attorney in DuPage County can help make sure your rights are protected and that your tax obligations are met.

Common Tax Issues That May Arise During an Illinois Divorce

If your child is one of the 11 million kids who attend day care in the U.S., you are likely aware just how costly child care expenses can get. In fact, child care expenses can frequently be a family's largest expense, costing more than rent or a mortgage, utilities, and gas or transportation, and even a year of college tuition at most public colleges, according to Child Care Aware of America, a national nonprofit that promotes affordable and accessible childcare in the U.S.

When parents go through a divorce, the question of who will be footing the bill for day care can be a major concern, especially when a divorce means parents may need to rely on childcare even more than before the marital dissolution. Setting up to separate households can be expensive, and parents may even need to work more hours than they did prior to the divorce.

Your divorce attorney in DuPage County can go over your child care expenses with you and ask the court to make sure the day care costs are specifically addressed by your divorce decree or child support agreement.

Illinois law requires that all parents who are divorcing and never-married parents who are establishing a parenting plan complete a parent education course. Your divorce attorney in DuPage County can help make sure you fulfill these requirements as instructed by the court.

Because failure to complete the parent education course adequately can affect your parenting plan proceedings, it is important that you work with your experienced family law attorney in the Wheaton area to ensure that you have completed the proper steps.

What Is the Parent Education Program?

It is not unusual for people's credit ratings to take a hit during and after divorce proceedings. The divorce itself cannot directly damage your credit, as some people mistakenly believe.

However, because divorce represents a time of emotional and financial tension, as well as disputes over who is responsible for paying which debts, it is not uncommon for money to be tight, payments to fall behind, and bills to fall through the cracks.

The good news is that your experienced divorce attorney in DuPage County can help you protect your credit throughout your divorce proceedings, and after, and can even help you repair damaged credit, if necessary.