The divorce process entails an extensive list of divisions between the two spouses, including property division and the allocation of parental responsibilities. At the end of the day, the court’s goal is to ensure that the two separating parties complete the process as equals. While not legally required, awarding spousal maintenance, or alimony, can help to achieve this. A Kane County family law attorney can aid in pursuing spousal maintenance effectively.  There are multiple types of spousal maintenance to consider. Before doing so, you should make sure that it is the right path for your situation. If there is a substantial income discrepancy between the separating parties, spousal maintenance is likely appropriate. 

The Main Types of Spousal Maintenance in Illinois

In Illinois, spousal maintenance is not guaranteed. Unless you have signed a marital agreement promising maintenance, the court has the discrepancy to award spousal maintenance or spousal support on a case-by-case basis. 

Temporary Maintenance

During the divorce process, under Illinois law, a spouse may request temporary maintenance. LIke the name implies, this type of maintenance is short-term and will end at the finalization of the divorce. Temporary maintenance is typically granted in order to maintain the supporting spouse’s financial status quo. Before approving this request, a court will first evaluate the incomes, needs, and responsibilities of each spouse. 

Emily Rapp is a new appointee to the ISBA’s Women and the Law Committee. Her main areas of practice are Family Law and serving as a Guardian ad Litem in Kane, Kendall and DuPage Counties.

Emily was a teenager when bitten by the legal bug. She read Silent Spring, a book by Rachel Carson that discussed the effects of herbicides and pesticides on the environment and decided right then that she wanted to be an environmental lawyer. Then she took environmental law. She is a family law practitioner.

Emily is a 2011 graduate from Loyola University School of Law. During her law school years, she was a 711-licensed clerk at the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and clerked for the CTA. In law school, after determining environmental law was not her forte, she had dreams of becoming a Cook County prosecutor. Cook County did not share Emily’s dream. Resourceful Emily had a back-up plan, family law. She used her connections to find her first job out of law school at Peskind Law Firm in St. Charles. She credits that firm and Steve Peskind with teaching her a lot about family law and dealing with clients. From there she went to work for Weiler & Lengle. Rory Weiler continues to mentor her to this day. In April of this year, she opened her own practice, MagnusonRapp Law, in downtown Geneva.