In the state of Illinois, as in states all across the union, a lot of time and energy goes into researching and composing legislation before it is ever presented to be voted into law. Not only must that new bill address a relevant issue but it must also be constructed in a way that gives it lasting power to be used to settle legal disputes for years to come. However, there comes a time when the significance and effectiveness of any given law must be gauged against the needs of the public and the demands of the times. It may be for that reason that divorce legislation is facing a major renovation in Illinois.
There are several major points regarding issues like child custody and divorce judgments that are likely to affect most people filing for divorce in the state if the bill passes. The new legislation has already been introduced in the state House of Representatives and is set to face a judiciary committee hearing this month.
The new bill recommends that children can spend longer amounts of time with their non-custodial parent. By granting accommodations like long weekend visits with parents, the law aims to provide more consistency for families. In regards to child support, the law would base the amount owed on factors like visitation time and the income of each parent.
In most cases, divorce judgments would be given within 60-90 days of filing, and individuals may no longer be required to provide grounds for seeking a divorce. Similarly, a person’s current partner cannot be sued by their spouse for ruining the marriage.
These changes took four years to compose and are the first to be implemented in the past 35 years.
Source: CBS St. Louis, “Illinois House Considers Changes To Divorce Laws,” April 15, 2013
