Legal Question in Family Law in Illinois

Re: Contested Divorce

The cost (filing fees) for filing a divorce proceedings differs depending on the county in which it is filed in. Typically, you will need to file a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage along with the support documents and summons and have your spouse served with the same.

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Good Luck!

Re: Contested Divorce

There is no way to know how much money or time a contested divorce will be. As far as how you file a Petition for Dissolution, if you think there will be real contested issues, you should speak to an attorney about representing you.

Re: Contested Divorce

It is difficult to provide any specific information in response to your question because you do not provide any information for us to work with. The filing fee that must be paid to the court clerk upon the filing of a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage varies from county to county as do the other costs normally incurred such as sheriff's fees, subpoena fees, court reporter costs, and so on. The retainer fee and hourly fee that an attorney will require also varies from place to place and from person to person. A young attorney desparately seeking new business might charge a lot less than an older, more experienced attorney who has handled hundreds or thousands of such cases. Generally speaking, in my office, a reasonable retainer fee for a dissolution that you know will be contested would be anywhere from $2500 to $10,000 depending upon a wide variety of factors. Where is the case going to be prosecuted? Who is on the other side? What are the parties going to fight about? How many witnesses will be involved? How many records must be obtained and reviewed? How many experts (CPA's, Real Estate Appraisers, Personal Property Appraisers, Employment Expert's, Child Psychologists, Health Care Providers, etc., etc.) will be needed and used. Costs in fees and expenses can often go quite high in cases where the stakes are high. However, in most cases, honest lawyers will advise the client to keep a practical perspective and not spend more on attorney's fees and costs than the matter is worth. You can buy a new car for less that it will cost to fight over the car you have. If you do not already have an attorney, you may call me for a consultation. I have handled dissolution cases from Peoria to

Benton and several places in between. If I can not help you myself, I might be able to help you find the best lawyer for your case.