David Matthew Gotzh’s Answers

The dissolution is valid unless a motion to vacate the judgment is granted.

Agreed. Grounds are peanuts. Losing your shirt b/c of alimony (called maintenance) or your retirement are bigger deals. Talk to a family law attorney in your area for specific guidance.

I would recommend legal aid or contacting the Chicago Bar Association for an affordable referral.

Agreed. Common for many contested matters to wipe out client. 99 times out of 100, we'd rather you just work something out man-to-man. Payment plans are common.

Guessing this is a Federal Case. You can back-to-back depositions - but do you have any clue how huge your court reporter bill will be? Do you know what to do if they arrive with an attorney and said attorney objects to a particular question? What if a motion to quash is filed? At least talk to someone who handles Federal Cases before you do something that ends up costing you.

Since there's a dispute, the court can decide this - presuming your custody judgment has not already addressed this issue (Look to it first, it might be tucked away in the fine print). If he's owes you back support, and he's missed his deadline to pay it, you can cross petition for a rule to show cause - which might expedite a positive outcome. Talk to a family law attorney in your area for specific guidance.

If there's a disparity of income, an interim attorney fee petition can be filed to "level the playing field." See 750 ILCS 5/501 & 508. Talk to an attorney in your area for specific guidance.

You can cash it. Child Support isn't "owed" until you file for it - unless he continues to make payments, the most he could arguably do is deduct the $50 from whatever his monthly amount is under the statute PRESUMING he continues to pay the amount. Doubtful that would happen, as it's a duplication of effort. So in short, cash it. If you want child support, file for it. Parentage Child Support is done through one very busy court on the 3rd floor, but if you're patient, you'll likely get...

Regretfully, as far as Illinois is concerned - her conduct plays no part in the division of assets (Short of a dissipation situation), and might only play a part in the determination of custody. As for defamation/slander/libel; throw those ideas out, it has a 99.9999% chance of failing. What you need to do is protect any joint assets, such as a bank account with a large savings balance, or anything either party could liquidate with little difficulty. Don't dissipate anything, just put it...

Can you argue to the court that he needs to contribute to household expenses while this matter is pending? Yes. Will the court grant that? Impossible to predict, especially based on one paragraph of information. During a Divorce, under Illinois law, you can ask for temporary orders, to include spousal support, child support, and attorney fees. Some, like Chlld Support, utilize percentile guidelines (See ILCS 5/505). Others, like spousal support, are based on a variety of factors and...