Illinois Family Law Attorneys

At DearLegal, we connect you with experienced Illinois family law attorneys who can navigate Illinois’s no-fault framework and Income Shares child support.

Free to use — fees quoted upfront, before you commit
Matched with an Illinois attorney in 24 hours
30,000+ plaintiffs served nationwide

Free Illinois family law case review

A Illinois attorney will take a look. Or call 1-833-WELEGAL.

How we match your Illinois family law case

When you submit a Illinois family law matter, we route it through a national network of independent partner firms and put it in front of the one that fits best — based on the kind of case it is, what it is likely to involve, where it has to be handled, and who has capacity to take it on now.

Case type

A family law matter needs someone who handles family law work day to day, not a generalist. Practice area is the first filter.

Size and complexity

Some firms are built for catastrophic injury and multi-party litigation; others resolve straightforward claims quickly. We weigh what your matter is likely to involve against how each firm actually works.

Jurisdiction and licensing

Your matter is decided under Illinois law, so it goes to an attorney licensed in Illinois who regularly appears where your case would be heard.

Capacity and fit

Availability, conflicts of interest and language all matter. If the best-fit firm cannot take your case, we route it to the next one that can — or tell you plainly when no one in the network is the right answer.

Every partner reviews your case for free. Injury and workers’ compensation matters are handled on contingency — no fee unless you win. Other matters are quoted upfront, before you commit to anything.

Get started How DearLegal works

DearLegal provides marketing and matching services and is not a law firm. Submitting a case does not create an attorney-client relationship. Matches depend on case type, jurisdiction and firm availability.

Exhibit A

What happens with a family law claim in Illinois

Day 0
You decide to act.
Separation, custody, support or a modification. Gather financials, the children’s schedules and any agreements or orders that already exist.
Within 24 hours
Tell us what happened.
Two minutes on this page. A Illinois family law attorney reviews it for free and, if it’s a fit, you’re matched within 24 hours.
Weeks 1–4
Filing and disclosures.
The petition is filed and both sides exchange financial disclosures. Temporary orders for custody or support can be requested early in Illinois.
Months 1–6
Negotiation or mediation.
Most cases settle here — parenting plans, division of property, support. Your attorney negotiates from the disclosures, not from guesses.
If it doesn’t settle
Hearing or trial.
Contested issues go before a judge. Preparation matters more than argument; your attorney builds the file for it from day one.
Resolution
Final order.
Fees are quoted before you commit — hourly or a retainer, spelled out in writing at the free consultation.

Residency Requirement: 90 days
90 days for petitioner or respondent (750 ILCS 5/401)
Property Division System: Equitable distribution
Equitable distribution — just proportions (750 ILCS 5/503)
Custody Standard: Allocation
Allocation of parental responsibilities (decision-making and parenting time) under 750 ILCS 5/602.5 and 602.7
Child Support Guidelines: Income Shares
Income Shares model (effective July 1, 2017) under 750 ILCS 5/505
Spousal Support Framework: 33.3%
Maintenance under 750 ILCS 5/504 — statutory guideline formula (33.3% of payor’s net minus 25% of payee’s net, capped at 40% of combined); duration tied to marriage length
Typical attorney fee: Hourly
Hourly / Flat Fee

Illinois became a pure no-fault state in 2016 — irreconcilable differences is the only ground under the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (750 ILCS 5/401). Residency is 90 days for the petitioner or respondent before judgment (750 ILCS 5/401). Illinois eliminated the prior 6-month separation requirement in 2016 — separation is presumed where the parties have lived separate and apart continuously for 6 months, but the parties can stipulate to it. Illinois is an equitable distribution state under 750 ILCS 5/503 — marital property is divided in just proportions. Illinois transitioned to the Income Shares child support model effective July 1, 2017 (previously Percentage of Obligor Income). Allocation of parental responsibilities is decided under 750 ILCS 5/602.5 and 602.7.

Exhibit B

When to call a family law attorney in Illinois

Does any of this sound like you? Tap what applies.

Exhibit C

Family Law cases we take in Illinois

Which one is closest to yours?

Uncontested divorce

When both spouses agree on all terms, Illinois allows expedited finalization via stipulation. Joint simplified dissolution (no kids, short marriage, low assets) is even faster.

Sound like yours? A Illinois attorney reviews it free — fees are quoted upfront, before you commit.

Start my free review

Exhibit D

How much do Illinois family law attorneys cost?

Typical fee schedule

Illinois · Family Law

Fee modelHourly / Flat Fee

Feequoted per petition or matter

Filing costsitemized upfront

Case reviewFree

Illustrative only. Your fee terms are set in a written agreement with your attorney and may include costs and expenses regardless of outcome.

Family Law matters in Illinois are usually a flat fee per filing — quoted before you commit, not billed by the hour.

Family law cases in Illinois are not handled on contingency. Illinois Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5(d)(1) — patterned on ABA Model Rule 1.5(d) — prohibits contingent fees in domestic relations matters where the fee is contingent on securing a divorce or on the amount of maintenance, support, or property settlement. Illinois family law attorneys charge hourly (billed against a retainer) or a flat fee for uncontested matters. Courts may award fees under 750 ILCS 5/501(c-1) and 5/503(j).

A good attorney walks through every number at your free consultation — before you sign anything.

Get startedTakes about two minutes. No obligation.

Exhibit E

What your Illinois family law compensation can include

A Illinois family law recovery is built from several parts. Tap one to see what it covers.

Property Division

Equitable distribution under 750 ILCS 5/503 — just proportions across 12 statutory factors. Non-marital property is assigned to the owner.

DearLegal is a legal referral service, not a law firm. We connect individuals with licensed attorneys who can evaluate their case. Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice. Results vary based on individual circumstances.

Exhibit F

Illinois family law questions, answered

Still unsure? Tell us what happened and a Illinois attorney will review it for free.

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Illinois has no mandatory waiting period (since 2016). Uncontested divorces typically finalize 60–120 days after filing. Contested cases generally take 9–18 months, with high-conflict cases extending well beyond.

Yes — and as of 2016, no-fault is the only basis for divorce in Illinois. Irreconcilable differences must be established under 750 ILCS 5/401, which the parties can prove by 6 months of separation (presumed) or stipulation.

Not strictly. Illinois presumes irreconcilable differences after 6 months of living separate and apart, but parties can stipulate to irreconcilable differences without the 6-month period.

Illinois is an equitable distribution state. Marital property is divided in just proportions under 750 ILCS 5/503 considering 12 factors including each spouse’s contribution, value of property, duration of marriage, age and health, parenting plan, and economic circumstances. Non-marital property is exempt and assigned to the owner.

Illinois uses allocation of parental responsibilities — decision-making (750 ILCS 5/602.5) and parenting time (750 ILCS 5/602.7) — instead of custody. Courts consider 15+ best-interests factors. Significant decision-making areas (education, health, religion, extracurricular) can be allocated jointly or to one parent.

Illinois transitioned to the Income Shares model effective July 1, 2017 (replacing the prior Percentage of Obligor Income). Both parents’ net incomes are applied to the state schedule and prorated. Shared parenting (146+ overnights with each parent) triggers a different formula.

Yes. Allocation of parental responsibilities can be modified on a substantial change in circumstances; restrictions apply within 2 years of the original order (750 ILCS 5/610.5). Child support requires substantial change. Maintenance modification depends on the decree’s terms. Property division is final.

Family Law attorneys by city in Illinois

Same Illinois rules and the same attorneys — with what’s local to each city.

Other case types in Illinois

All Illinois practice areas →

Animal Incident attorneysIllinois holds dog owners strictly liable — the owner pays for unprovoked attacks even without prior knowledge of viciousness.

Business Dispute attorneysIllinois enforces non-competes only when they pass the courts’ reasonableness test — and state law sets income floors below which they can’t be enforced at all.

Car Accident attorneysIllinois is a fault state with 51% modified comparative — and mandatory uninsured-motorist coverage gives most plaintiffs a backup recovery layer.

Consumer Protection attorneysThe Illinois Consumer Fraud Act lets consumers recover actual damages plus attorney fees — and the state’s biometric-privacy law drives unique fingerprint and face-scan claims.

Criminal Defense attorneysIllinois eliminated cash bail in 2023 — pretrial release practice is now substantially different from most other states.

Defective Product attorneysIllinois holds manufacturers strictly liable for defective products, and the Illinois Supreme Court continues to shape how far that liability reaches.

Employment attorneysThe Illinois Human Rights Act covers more protected classes than federal law — and recent biometric-privacy decisions have reshaped employer time-clock liability.

Immigration attorneysIllinois is a Trust Act state — local law enforcement is restricted from cooperating with ICE detainers, which shapes detention and removal practice in Cook County.

Lemon Law attorneysIllinois’s Lemon Law covers manufacturer defects within 12 months/12,000 miles — narrower than many states, so timing is critical.

Medical Malpractice attorneysIllinois med-mal damages caps were struck down in 2010 — but the affidavit-of-merit requirement still gates every case.

Personal Injury attorneysA 2-year filing deadline and 51% modified comparative fault frame every Illinois PI case — Cook County culture often shapes settlement value.

Slip and Fall attorneysIllinois follows the natural-accumulation rule on snow and ice — landowners generally aren’t liable for natural ice unless they made the condition worse by their own actions.

Social Security Disability attorneysIllinois SSA hearing offices in Chicago, Oak Park, and Orland Park have moderate-to-long waits — counsel helps build the medical record SSA needs.

Workers’ Compensation attorneysThe Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission runs claims — and Illinois remains one of the more employee-friendly comp systems in the Midwest.

Illinois Family Law Attorneys

How we match your Illinois family law case

Case type

Size and complexity

Jurisdiction and licensing

Capacity and fit

What happens with a family law claim in Illinois

You decide to act.

Tell us what happened.

Filing and disclosures.

Negotiation or mediation.

Hearing or trial.

Final order.

When to call a family law attorney in Illinois

Family Law cases we take in Illinois

Uncontested divorce

Contested divorce

Allocation of parental responsibilities

Child support and modification

Maintenance / spousal support

Premarital and postnuptial agreements

Paternity / parentage actions

Adoption

Grandparent and third-party visitation

Orders of Protection

Civil union dissolution

Military divorce

How much do Illinois family law attorneys cost?

What your Illinois family law compensation can include

Property Division

Maintenance

Child Support

Custody and Parenting Time

Attorney’s Fees

Protective Orders

Illinois family law questions, answered

Family Law attorneys by city in Illinois

Other case types in Illinois

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