Turn to Our Downers Grove Divorce Attorneys

Our Downers Grove Divorce Lawyers: Understanding, Experienced, Skilled.

Divorce is one of life’s major stressors, but having an experienced Downers Grove divorce attorney at Wolfe & Stec on your side can help ease the process. Our attorneys understand the anxiety and uncertainty you have when dissolving a marriage and will be there to provide empathetic legal guidance throughout the process.

Going through a divorce involves much more than just dividing up assets. When a marriage starts out hopefully, calling it quits can be a difficult and deeply emotional experience to all parties involved. Our compassionate divorce lawyers will sensitively address all of your concerns, even if you are just considering divorce.

Call Wolfe & Stec today at (630) 305-0222 for a free, confidential consultation. You can rely on our Downers Grove divorce lawyers to work diligently to achieve the most satisfactory outcome for you.

How Our Divorce Attorney in Downers Grove Can Help You

Our Attorney Will Stand Up for Your Interests

While having an attorney handle your divorce is not required, in most cases, it is highly advisable to have an advocate at your side to represent your interests and make sure everything is done properly. Divorce is complex, and circumstances can change in an instant. A spouse who was previously somewhat agreeable may become uncooperative or even refuse to sign the divorce papers. There are many things that can go wrong even when things start out proceeding smoothly.

Our skilled and compassionate divorce lawyer in Downers Grove will ensure that your interests are upheld and answer all your questions about:

The initial filing process
How assets, debts, and property are divided
Concerns with child custody, child support, and alimony.

We will guide you throughout the entire process, handle all paperwork and court appearances, and fight for your interests when disputes arise. Don’t wait for problems to get worse. Contact our Downers Grove divorce lawyers today for a free and confidential consultation at (630) 305-0222.

Our Divorce Lawyer in Downers Grove Will Help You File

Our Downers Grove Attorneys Will Deal with Paperwork and Requirements

There are certain Illinois requirements you must meet when filing for divorce. Illinois has a residency requirement that at least one of the divorcing spouses must be a resident of Illinois for 90 consecutive days before filing paperwork.

If this requirement is met, you must then file a petition for dissolution of marriage with the Circuit Court in the county in which you or your spouse live to start the divorce process. Your spouse will be served with the petition and will have 30 days to respond.

Our Downers Grove divorce attorneys will handle all paperwork within the proper time frame and advise you about the next steps in your divorce process based on your unique circumstances. Call Wolfe & Stec at (630) 305-0222 today to get started.

Time It Takes to Get a Divorce in Downers Grove

We Are Your Staunch Advocate. No Matter How Long It Takes.

Many people want their divorce over with as quickly as possible. They want to leave the stress of an unsatisfying marriage behind and move on with their lives. However, the time it takes to get a divorce depends on the individual marriage situation. Marriages without children and a lot of property and assets often can be dissolved much faster than those with more complicated circumstances. The main factor in how long a divorce will take is whether your divorce is uncontested or contested.

Uncontested Divorce

If both spouses agree on the terms of the divorce, it can often be completed quickly. Some uncontested divorces take as little as two months to complete. However, for an uncontested divorce, there must be agreement on all the details and issues, including:

How assets and property will be divided
Debt repayment
Child custody and support arrangements
Whether alimony will be paid
What to do with the pets.

If spouses don’t agree on everything, the divorce becomes a contested one, and this may drag on and take a lot longer to be finalized.

Contested Divorce in Downers Grove

Both sets of attorneys will attempt to negotiate the issues in a contested divorce. If negotiations fail to settle the issues, divorcing spouses and their attorneys may end up going to trial. In situations where there is a lot of conflict regarding the terms and conditions of a divorce, it can take as long as two years or more to be finalized through the courts.

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions from a Divorce Lawyer in Downers Grove

Most people considering divorce have many questions and concerns about how the divorce will work and the situation they will find themselves in once the divorce is finalized. A Wolfe & Stec divorce attorney in Downers Grove will listen carefully to your concerns and advise you based on your individual situation. Here are some general answers to questions we frequently get from clients:

What Are the Grounds for Divorce in the State?

In Illinois, you can file for divorce on “fault” or “no-fault” grounds. No-fault divorces are granted based on irreconcilable differences, without holding anyone to blame. Fault divorces may be granted for reasons that include mental cruelty, physical cruelty, adultery, excessive alcohol or drug use, and other grounds.

How Do Illinois Judges Decide Child Custody Issues?

As in every state, judges in Illinois consider the best interests of children in making custody rulings. They may look at factors that include:

parents’ wishes
children’s wishes
how children interact with each parent
whether domestic violence has been an issue
mental and physical health of family members.

How is Property Divided in a Contested Divorce?

In Illinois, judges divide marriage assets and property based on “equitable distribution.” The judge will look at all relevant factors in the divorce case to arrive at a fair distribution, but not necessarily an equal one. Factors that come into play can include how long the marriage lasted, whether there were prenuptial agreements in place, the age of the spouses, each spouse’s earning potential and much more.

Our Downers Grove Divorce Attorneys Compassionately Counsel Clients in Ending Their Marriage

Most people don’t make the decision to divorce lightly and may spend months or years thinking about whether they should end their marriage. They may worry whether they are doing the right thing, especially when children are involved or when having enough money to manage two households comes into play.

When you speak with a compassionate divorce lawyer from Wolfe & Stec, you will never be pressured into making a decision you might not be ready for. We will listen carefully to you and answer your divorce questions based on your individual situation. When you are ready to go ahead, our Downers Grove divorce attorneys will be there to negotiate on your behalf and fight for your interests in court if necessary.

Call us today for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your divorce issues at (630) 305-0222.

Attorney Natalie Stec

Natalie M. Stec, born and raised in Illinois, and earned her Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her practice has been concentrated in significant pre and post decree marital and family law cases; including custody, visitation, support, and paternity matters. She has important criminal defense experience in both misdemeanor and felony cases. She is a very dedicated and passionate litigator. [ Attorney Bio ]

Attorney Marc Wolfe

Marc Wolfe has been representing clients in criminal matters in Chicago and the entire State of Illinois for over 30 years. Mr. Wolfe has tried over 300 cases to verdict and represents clients facing investigation or prosecution for a broad range of state and federal criminal offenses, including murder, embezzlement, sexual abuse, drugs, marijuana and white collar crimes. [ Attorney Bio ]