Legal Question in Family Law in Illinois

Re: 19 month long court case/college expenss

It is possible to push for a hearing, but if you don't have an attorney you're going to have to physically be there yourself (and I imagine it is cheaper to pay an attorney to be at a status date than it is to fly to chicago and be there yourself).

The judge will take everyone's income into account, and determine how much everyone's contribution should be based on that.

You should probably find another attorney as it should be more cost effective than physically going to every status date. And there really is no reason for it to be going on for 19 months. All the discovery sounds like it's been done, it sounds like a hearing or even just a pre-trial hearing could get this thing resolved.

Re: 19 month long court case/college expenss

All the facts about the child's income and your income has to come before the court. And yes, there are ways to push the legal action, but you certainly are going to have a tough time doing it pro se. Your prior attorney sounds like a lazy or inexperienced attorney, although I do not know the facts of your case, so I am not saying for certain that he/she was. Cook county can go very slow in these matters as well. And if you have an attorney (that is good) you will not have to come to court for almost all hearings, he would come to court for you.

Let me know if you have any more questions. Good Luck.