Illinois divorces are essentially dissolution of marriage suits, which require a range of objectives to be satisfactorily resolved before granting each spouse a clean legal break from the other. One essential objective for the court during a divorce is the issue of temporary relief in the context of spousal support. Many residents in Illinois are often unaware of the importance and significance of this type of spousal support and how it works. Hire a divorce attorney to ensure you understand how temporary spousal support works in Illinois.

This is What You Need to Know

Firstly, the purpose of temporary spousal support is to maintain the defendant’s standard of living while the case is pending. Such terms provide a spouse with alimony that enables that partner to maintain and provide for their economic needs until the divorce case is concluded.

Secondly, Illinois considers multiple factors before granting or not granting temporary alimony to a dependent spouse. These factors may include the income and resources of both parties, the length of the marriage, and the health considerations of each party.

Spousal support, also called alimony or spousal maintenance, is designed to limit the negative financial consequences of divorce experienced by a lesser-earning spouse. In the past, husbands were almost always the payors of spousal support and wives were the recipients. However, as more and more women are becoming primary earners, orders of spousal support from ex-wives to ex-husbands are becoming more common.

In Illinois, courts have considerable discretion in determining whether or not to award spousal maintenance. Typically, statutory formulas determine the amount and duration of maintenance payments.

When Is a Spouse Entitled to Spousal Support?

If a divorcing couple has a valid prenuptial agreement or postnuptial agreement that establishes spousal support terms, the court will typically uphold this agreement. If there is no prior spousal maintenance agreement, the court will consider a range of different factors when determining whether spousal maintenance should be awarded. These factors include but are not limited to: