Chicago Divorce Preparation Checklist

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1. Identify Commitments That Need Immediate Review

Begin with dates, requests, and circumstances that cannot wait for a complete financial review.

• Locate any summons, hearing notice, or court order and record the next deadline or required appearance.
• Flag a pending lease, home transaction, account transfer, or proposed agreement that someone expects you to approve.
• Identify immediate concerns about safety, a child’s care, necessary treatment, or loss of housing or essential funds.
• Ask an attorney which immediate steps or temporary arrangements should be considered before you make changes.

If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. Do not delay emergency assistance while gathering documents.

2. Bring Together the Documents That Establish Your Position

Collect complete records so important terms are not lost in a summary or an isolated screenshot.

• Gather existing family court orders, marital agreements, amendments, and attachments.
• Prepare a short account of residence, marriage, separation, and any related proceedings in another county, state, or country.
• Identify current informal arrangements and distinguish them from signed agreements or court requirements.
• Create a secure document index showing what you have, its date, and what remains unavailable.

3. Prepare the Figures Behind Financial Disclosure

Organize supporting records before relying on totals. Keep future estimates separate from documented current spending.

• Collect available income records, tax returns, account statements, and documents explaining recurring deductions.
• Identify expenses paid annually, through payroll, or from shared accounts so they are not omitted or counted twice.
• Include transit, parking, childcare, association charges, and other costs relevant to how your household operates.
• Mark uncertain amounts and prepare questions about completing the applicable Financial Affidavit accurately.

The Illinois courts publish Financial Affidavit forms and instructions. Confirm what must be exchanged or submitted in your case.

4. Examine the Full Housing Arrangement

A home’s practical cost may involve obligations that are not visible in the mortgage payment or advertised rent.

• Locate the lease or ownership documents, current loan information, and records of deposits or other housing-related funds.
• For a condominium or similar property, gather assessment information, known special charges, and relevant transfer or occupancy restrictions.
• Compare ongoing costs with realistic alternatives, including parking, utilities, moving expenses, and changes in commuting.
• Identify what would require lender, landlord, association, or other third-party approval before relying on a proposed housing outcome.

5. Look Beyond Base Salary

Identify compensation and benefits that may need a different explanation from ordinary wages.

• List bonuses, commissions, equity awards, deferred compensation, partnership payments, and other variable earnings where applicable.
• Gather award agreements or plan documents explaining vesting, payment timing, employment conditions, and transfer limits.
• Identify retirement accounts and pensions, including benefits from previous employers and any associated loans.
• Prepare questions about valuation, classification, taxes, and any separate orders needed to carry out a division.

6. Separate Ownership Questions From Valuation Questions

You may need different records to explain where an asset came from and what it is worth now.

• Identify property and debts without assuming that a name on an account settles how the item should be treated.
• Preserve records of premarital balances, gifts, inheritances, purchases, and transfers that may help explain ownership history.
• Attach dates and sources to estimated values, noting when an appraisal or business review may be needed.
• List questions about joint liability, guarantees, transaction costs, or restrictions affecting a proposed allocation.

Access information lawfully. Do not use unauthorized credentials, conceal assets, or alter potentially relevant records.

7. Test Parenting Logistics Across the City

If children are involved, evaluate how a proposed arrangement would operate at the actual times care and travel are needed.

• Map school, childcare, activities, and medical commitments against each parent’s work availability.
• Check realistic travel using the relevant driving, walking, or transit route, including transfers, parking, and pickup deadlines.
• Prepare questions about significant decisions, parenting time, holiday priority, communication, and necessary belongings moving between homes.
• Identify safety restrictions, special care needs, or a contemplated move involving the child for legal review.

Keep children outside preparation for adult disputes. They should not gather evidence, carry financial messages, or negotiate either parent’s requested terms.

8. Plan for Coverage and Essential Services

Find out what currently depends on a spouse’s employment, a shared contract, or access to a particular account.

• Identify insurance coverage, premiums, covered family members, and the appropriate benefits or policy contact.
• Prepare questions about eligibility, replacement coverage, required notices, and enrollment deadlines.
• List essential shared services and automatic payments, noting potential interruptions if an account or payment method changes.
• Ask before changing coverage, beneficiary designations, shared access, or payment arrangements that could affect an existing obligation.

9. Verify Cook County Preparation Steps

Confirm the procedures for your court and assigned calendar rather than relying on instructions from another proceeding.

• Ask about the appropriate filing location, notice and response requirements, and any immediate deadlines.
• Confirm required financial exchanges and how sensitive documents should be delivered or submitted.
• If children are involved, ask about applicable parenting-plan preparation, mediation, and approved education requirements.
• Verify appearance instructions and discuss fees, attorney communication, document sharing, and your next preparation tasks.

Start with the Cook County Domestic Relations Division and its published FAQ. Follow the notices and orders issued in your case.

10. Review What a Proposal Requires After Signing

Evaluate the work needed to implement a proposal alongside the outcome it promises.

• Compare proposed payments and asset allocations with your expected expenses and accessible funds.
• Identify who prepares transfer documents, obtains approvals, pays costs, and confirms completion.
• Ask what happens if a refinance, sale, retirement division, or other required transaction cannot proceed as expected.
• Have terms reviewed before signing and maintain a dated record of deadlines, required actions, and completed steps.

Bring unresolved questions forward as they arise. A useful preparation process makes uncertainty visible so it can be investigated before it becomes an assumption in an agreement.

Educational checklist: This resource provides general organizational information for Chicago-area readers preparing for divorce. It is not a court filing checklist, legal advice, or a complete statement of Illinois requirements. Using it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Obtain advice about your circumstances, existing orders, and deadlines. This blog is owned by Stange Law Firm, PC.