Updates to Illinois’ Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (IMDMA)

The current IMDMA which governs divorce laws has been in effect since 1977. On July 21, 2015, Governor Rauner approved Senate Bill 57, which updates the act and will become effective beginning January 1, 2016.

Some of the act’s major revisions are the following:

• Elimination of “fault grounds”, resulting in all divorces being granted based on “irreconcilable differences” and neither party being assigned blame for the divorce.
• Elimination of the six month waiting period for parties who immediately agree to divorce.
• Allowing parents with residential custody living in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake McHenry or Will counties, to move up to 25 miles from each other even if that crosses state lines, without seeking a court’s approval. Allowing residential parents residing in any other Illinois county to move up to 50 miles from their residence without seeking a court’s approval.
• Requiring judges to provide reasoning for the allocation of property and spousal support they decide upon.
• Elimination of lawsuits based on alienation of affection, breach of promise to marry, and criminal conversations.

For further details, please contact the Chicago family and divorce attorneys at the Law Offices of Azita M. Mojarad, P.C.