Belleville Divorce Attorney Representing Men In Divorce In Belleville, Illinois

Frequently Asked Belleville Divorce Questions

How long do I have to live in Belleville to file for divorce?

A divorce can be filed in the county where either party resides. There is no specific time period that you must have resided in that county.

However, you or your spouse must have lived in Illinois for at least 90 days before the judgment of dissolution is entered.

Is there a mandatory waiting period in St. Clair County before a divorce can be granted? How long will a divorce take?

There is no mandatory waiting period before a divorce can be granted. How long the divorce will take depends on the complexity of your case, whether it is contested, and the availability of judges.

How can I serve my spouse in St. Clair County? If attempts to serve do not work, can I serve by publication?

When you file your Petition for Dissolution, the Circuit Clerk will issue a Summons. If your spouse lives in the county where the petition is filed, you, or the Circuit Clerk, will give the summons to the sheriff to serve your spouse.

If your spouse does not reside in the county where you are filing, you will need to contact the sheriff in the county where your spouse resides about obtaining service. 

If attempts at service do not work, you can serve by publication, which requires court approval. The notice must run in a newspaper that is published in the county where the lawsuit was filed, and the newspaper must be at least a weekly paper.

The Circuit Clerk in the county where you file for divorce will be able to tell you which newspaper to contact for service by publication.

What are the specific forms I will need to file for a divorce in St. Clair County?

You will need to file a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage and a summons to serve your spouse. The Petition is your formal written request to the court for a divorce.

Where do I file for divorce?

If you or your spouse resides in St. Clair County, you will file at the St. Clair County Courthouse. The courthouse is located at 10 Public Square in Belleville. The Family Division is located on the third floor.

How much are filing fees at the St. Clair County Courthouse?

Filing fee for a new case is $246.

Are there any St. Clair County-Specific laws that are different from how other family law cases around the state are handled?

In St. Clair County, when the petition is filed, your case will be set for a status conference no later than ninety (90) days from the date of filing. The purpose of the status conference is to prevent delay in the disposition of the case by achieving early court intervention.

In addition, the conference is to be utilized to promote settlement, to hear pending motions, to set discovery limits, and to monitor compliance with scheduled court events.  Failure of counsel or pro se parties to appear at the status conference may result in dismissal for want of prosecution or default upon the court’s own motion.

Click the link for St. Clair County divorce rules.

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