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The Power To Move Forward
In Illinois, a divorce is officially called a
“Dissolution of Marriage” – a term used by the courts and on all legal papers.
A divorce is commenced by the filing of a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage. The spouse who
files is called the Petitioner. The responding spouse is called the Respondent.
Usually, the Respondent needs to be personally served by a Sheriff or a private process server in
order for the Court to have jurisdiction. The Respondent will then need to file an Appearance with
the Court, either pro se (representing oneself) or through an attorney. The Respondent must also
file a document known as an Answer or Response admitting or denying the allegations of the
Petition.
If the Respondent cannot be located or evades service, the court will generally still enter a
divorce and or award custody but will not enter an order regarding property rights, support or
maintenance.
Following the initial filing for divorce, if attempts at settling the matter fail and the issues
remain contested, a divorce case can be divided into three phases:
1. Temporary Issues
Phase
Temporary Issues Phase -
temporary custody, support, maintenance, physical protection issues and injunctions protecting
property and money;
2. Discovery and Investigation Phase
Discovery and Investigation
Phase – this is usually the longest phase of the divorce and the most important as its sets the
framework for the Judgment and your future rights and/or obligations;
3. Resolution Phase
Resolution Phase – negotiations followed by settlement or trial before a judge.
Contact Us to set an appointment. The consultation is free. We look
forward to working with you and we know you will be pleased with our services.
See FAQs for more information.
We
don’t just provide legal services; we build relationships.
It gives us a
genuine satisfaction to meet and help you in some meaningful way.
The entire staff
of the McDermott and McDermott Law Firm is knowledgeable and sensitive to your
needs.
Their focus is on
making the process as comfortable as possible
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They explain
everything to you,
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keep you
informed,
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include you in the
decision making process,
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and always return
your phone calls.
Your matter is
handled as expeditiously as possible without compromising your rights.
Please visit our
testimonial page and see what other clients have to say about
us.
Check our
resources area, there you will find links to many helpful
services.
Visit our
M & M Community to view our blogs and forums and leave your
comments.
We appreciate
your business and your referrals.
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McDermott and
McDermott Law Firm Privacy Policy We have created this privacy statement in order to demonstrate
our firm and continuing commitment to the privacy of personal information provided by those
visiting and interacting with this web site. We hold the privacy of your personal information in
the highest regard. The following discloses our information gathering and dissemination practices
for this website. We recognize the importance of protecting your privacy and our policy is designed
to assist you in understanding how we collect, use and safeguard the personal information you
provide to us and to assist you in making informed decisions when using our site. This policy will
be continuously assessed against new technologies, business practices and our customers' needs.
What Information Do We Collect? When you visit this web site you may provide us with two types of
information: personal information you knowingly choose to disclose that is collected on an
individual basis and Web site use information collected on an aggregate basis as you and others
browse our Web site.
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