How to File for Divorce in Cook County, Illinois

Ever wonder how to file for divorce? What are the first steps? What can you do by yourself instead of hiring an attorney?

There's a lot of information online, but what is the right information for you, specifically? And who wrote the content you find online anyway? Was it someone who just went through a divorce and is sharing what they learned?

Wouldn't it be better if a practing and licensed divorce attorney taught you what she knows so you can do it yourself?

That's exactly the idea behind this Udemy course!

I am an Illinois-licensed divorce attorney who practices in Cook County, Illinois. I'm also a former professor and have a PhD in Technology and am passionate about sharing what I know and helping others learn.

So I developed this course for people who want to file for divorce in Cook County, Illinois. You won't pay a law firm thousands of dollars just to start this process for you. You can do it yourself, and I'll show you how in this course.

Contents and Overview

• 8 lectures and over 3 hours of content

• Explanations of legal topics that come up in divorces

• All the forms you need to start your lawsuit in Cook County, Illinois

• Step-by-step instructions and demos showing you how to fill in legal forms and how to electronically file them

• A bonus lecture covering what's next in your lawsuit after you file for divorce and things to think about

I'll show you how to find and understand the legal forms needed to start your Cook County divorce lawsuit. You'll learn how to fill each form out and how to e-file them. At the end of the course, you will have the knowledge to start your lawsuit without having to retain (or pay) a law firm. And you'll have a better understanding of the divorce process in Cook County, Illinois. I'll share with you my experiences appearing before the very judges assigned to your case.

Why You Should File for Divorce Now

The Cook County courts are a part of the second busiest court system in the nation. Before March 2020, the Cook County Domestic Relations Courts heard nearly 100,000 cases every year. The first response to the pandemic resulted in the court system coming to a grinding halt. Then the courts began hearing things remotely, but there now exists a huge swell of cases in the system. Getting before a judge is backlogged.

Fortunately, filing for divorce (starting your case) is something that is completely done online and does not require you to see a judge. So the process to begin a lawsuit was really not affected by the system slowdown. Ultimately, you do need to have a judge review your materials and appear before them before you can get a divorce finalized. That means it is important to get in line to see the judge now. Do not wait to file divorce; get into the court's system now.

Not only will you secure a place in line, but there's a lot you can do before you see the judge. I'll show you how to start your own lawsuit and discuss the next possible steps you can take.

Does this process work?

Yes. The process I'll teach you is the process I use when I represent clients going through divorces in Cook County. I know it works. And it's specific to Cook County, Illinois. This is important because every county has a different procedure for getting divorced. Yes, the divorce process can be really confusing, but I designed this course to be easily understood by people who have no legal knowledge of divorce laws and procedures.

At the end of the course you should have all your legal paperwork submitted to the court, and be waiting for the court to approve your documents. Once they do, you will have legally started your divorce lawsuit in Cook County, Illinois.

You will have started the process to move forward into a new chapter in your life.