Chicago, IL LGBTQ+ Divorce Lawyer

Skilled Lawyer Advocating for Clients in LGBTQ+ Divorces in Chicago, Illinois

The stresses of a divorce can be hard to bear on your own. Faced with such a dramatic change to your life, you may have some understandable worries about how you will be affected by the final decree. To address your concerns, consider working with a Lakeview, Chicago LGBTQ+ divorce lawyer.

At Cameron Law Center, LLC, we are sensitive to the issues faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. When you work with our LGBTQ+ family law firm, we will fight to protect your rights, taking the time to understand your priorities and needs so that we can develop a personalized strategy for an ideal outcome.

Property Division in LGBTQ+ Divorces

Dividing up property in your divorce can be a complex, trying task. Before you can start allocating assets, you will have to figure out what property belongs to you alone and what belongs to the marriage. Illinois distinguishes between these two as separate and marital property, respectively.

Marital property largely consists of assets that were acquired during the marriage, regardless of whose name is on the title or deed. Your marital property could include your home, shared bank accounts, and assets mixed with marital funds. Marital property is subject to division, but separate property is not.

You and your spouse can agree to handle property division outside of court with a settlement. However, if negotiations for a settlement fail, you can turn to the courts instead. Illinois judges use a principle known as equitable distribution to divide marital property, which places an emphasis on fairness over all else.

A signed prenuptial or postnuptial agreement can also settle the matter of property division, though a spouse could object to it after signing if they were not given a proper disclosure of the assets and did not expressly waive that right.

Spousal Support for LGBTQ+ Couples Going Through a Divorce

In Illinois, spousal support refers to payments made by one spouse to another during or after the divorce proceedings to ease the recipient spouse's financial burden. It is also frequently referred to as alimony or spousal maintenance.

Like with property division, a divorcing couple can reach an agreement about spousal support on their own terms outside of court. If the issue is brought to the courts, the judge will make a decision based on what is just and equitable, considering the financial needs of each spouse, the employability of each party, and more.

The court will also factor in the length of the marriage when deciding how alimony should last. If the marriage lasted more than 20 years, the judge could consider awarding a spouse with indefinite alimony.

Child Custody for LGBTQ+ Couples in Lakeview, Chicago

Child custody for LGBTQ+ parents can be a sensitive issue. For some same-sex couples who have adopted a child, one parent may not have established their parental rights over the child, which can lead to contentious custody disputes. At Cameron Law Center, LLC, we are prepared to represent you in negotiations for parenting time and decision-making responsibility, advocating for your rights and making sure that your contributions to your child's upbringing do not go unrecognized in court.

In any custody case, LGBTQ+ or otherwise, the court's main concern is the child's best interests. Among other factors, the judge may consider the child's needs, their relationship with each parent, and any history of abuse or neglect in the household before making a final ruling.

Contact a Lakeview LGBTQ+ Divorce Attorney Today

Do you need help navigating your dissolution as a member of the LGBTQ+ community? Reach out to our Lakeview, Chicago LGBTQ+ divorce lawyer today. Call our offices at 312-489-8638 or contact us online for a free consultation.