Our crowd consisted of three couples but when we added up our divorces, the number came to 17. Unusual? Not so much. Divorce rates have grown in direct proportion to increased longevity and changing lifestyles. I ran up tabs for three divorces – each one unique. Kids, cats, money and power were a few of the reasons my marriages tanked, but one thing didn’t change: the divorce tab. I survived thousands of dollars in attorney’s fees but watched friends stay in untenable unions because they were broke. Everyone deserves a fresh start, a sentiment shared by Illinois law school clinics. These may be the best-kept secrets in the Land of Lincoln.
1. Determine Your DQ (Divorce Qualification) Status. In 1984, when Illinois legislators signed the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act into law, the Midwest state’s residents became eligible to choose from a fast no-fault split or an at-fault process that covers the following grounds: adultery, alienation of affection, physical or mental cruelty, a felony conviction, transmission of an STD and habitual substance abuse lasting longer than two years.
2. Collect proof. Your petition for a divorce and the speed at which it’s awarded can hang on your ability to sleuth out financial and evidentiary support that saves pro bono attorney(s) time and work. Before contacting one or more Illinois law clinics, compile a picture of your current financial status in the form of tax returns, family budget figures, income totals, living expenses, savings, investments and assets. Prove that your spouse holds all the purse strings and you’ll be in a good position to appeal to Illinois law school clinics for free help.
3. Contact the University of Illinois (U of I) College of Law clinic to find students working under the supervision of practicing attorneys. The U of I offers myriad assignment specialties so aspiring attorneys get real world experience in areas like domestic civil law. Use the Internet to approach the clinic by going to the University’s website and following links to the College of Law. Alternately, make a free clinic appointment by calling (217) 333-0931.
4. Visit the Campus. The U of I Civil Litigation Clinic is located at 504 East Pennsylvania Avenue in the heart of the Champaign-Urbana campus. Bring the documents you’ve amassed to prove that you haven’t the resources to hire a divorce lawyer. Undertake the drive from Chicago and points south if you don’t live nearby. On average, the 2.5 hour drive from Chicago and 2 hour drive from cities that border Illinois’ southern neighbors make campus an easily drivable destination since Champaign-Urbana is located in the center of the state.
5. Choose Plan B if the U of I turns you down due to case overload or you can’t travel: Contact the Bluhm Legal Clinic attached to the Northwestern University School of Law, located on 375 East Chicago Avenue in Chicago. Phone (312) 503-8576 to learn whether you qualify for pro bono divorce assistance and if the answer is yes, take a quick commuter train ride into the Loop. Northwestern’s focus is primarily public advocacy, but if your situation is compelling – especially if you can prove domestic violence – your chances of getting free representation increase. To obtain the fastest decision, write a one-page letter to folks at the Bluhm Legal Clinic via their website link.
6. Contact the University of Chicago (U of C) if you still can’t find a pro bono lawyer to help you with your divorce, despite meeting financial criteria. The Edwin F. Mandel Legal Aid Clinic’s advocacy mission offers all sorts for free help to Illinois citizens without funds and you can count on clinic lawyers to take your case as far as it will go: U of C students completing 60 percent of the credits needed to graduate have represented pro bono clients in the Illinois Appellate Court, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Call (773) 702-9611 to speak with U of C screeners. If you qualify, you’ll travel to 6020 South University Avenue to meet your new pro bono lawyers.
