New Family Marriage Act in Illinois Promises to Change Divorce for the Better

September 2, 2015 – Family law attorney and Chairman of the Illinois Family Law Study Committee, which was responsible for making the proposed groundbreaking changes to the legislature, is available for comment.

On January 1, 2016, many new changes to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act as well as the Parentage Act will be put in place. Senate Bill 57 and House Bill 1531 will greatly alter the divorce process in the state, as it relates to custody, property, and perhaps most importantly, an individual’s grounds for divorce, among other items.

These changes were based primarily upon recommendations made by the Illinois Family Law Study Committee, which was chaired by P. André Katz, Principal of Katz & Stefani . Katz was appointed by Speaker of the House Michael Madigan to help revise and review these much needed amendments to Illinois’ divorce law.

Katz says, “The goal of divorce law should be to help couples dissolve their marriages in an expedient and just manner, with as little distress to the family as possible. With this mind, I worked to rewrite divorce law in Illinois in order to significantly improve the process.”

One of the most notable changes to the law is that an individual no longer has to prove blame when establishing grounds for a divorce.

“We are moving from a ‘no fault’ state to a ‘no blame’ state,” explains Katz. “You no longer have to prove that your partner is an inferior person in order to win the right to divorce. The wish to dissolve a marriage is now all that is required for divorce proceedings to begin. That is a major win for divorcing couples and their children who don’t deserve to endure an acrimonious divorce.”

To speak to André Katz on this topic and on the many other significant changes to Illinois’ divorce law, please contact:

André Katz
Katz & Stefani, LLC
(312) 364-9000
[email protected]

About Katz & Stefani:

Founded by André Katz and Daniel Stefani in 2008, Katz & Stefani, LLC, is among Chicago’s and the region’s most respected and highest-rated law firms serving prominent individuals in family law cases, including premarital, divorce, complex financial, and child custody issues. Katz & Stefani is ranked by U.S. News–Best Law Firms as a Tier One Firm in Chicago for Family Law and recognized in Leading Lawyers and Super Lawyers, among other publications. André Katz and Daniel Stefani have both been designated Best Lawyers in America by U.S. News & World Report, recognized by many as the most respected and credible peer review survey.