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Joint Simplified Dissolution Procedure

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(750 ILCS 5/Pt. IV-A heading)

PART IV-A JOINT SIMPLIFIED DISSOLUTION PROCEDURE

(750 ILCS 5/451)

Sec. 451. Applicability. In any proceeding under this Part IV-A, the provisions of this Part IV-A shall control where they conflict with other provisions of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 88-39.)

(750 ILCS 5/452)

Sec. 452. Petition. The parties to a dissolution proceeding may file a joint petition for simplified dissolution if they certify that all of the following conditions exist when the proceeding is commenced:

(a) Neither party is dependent on the other party for support or each party is willing to waive the right to support; and the parties understand that consultation with attorneys may help them determine eligibility for spousal support.
(b) Either party has met the residency or military presence requirement of Section 401 of this Act.
(c) The requirements of Section 401 regarding proof of irreconcilable differences have been met.
(d) No children were born of the relationship of the parties or adopted by the parties during the marriage, and the wife, to her knowledge, is not pregnant by the husband.
(e) The duration of the marriage does not exceed 8 years.
(f) Neither party has any interest in real property or retirement benefits unless the retirement benefits are exclusively held in individual retirement accounts and the combined value of the accounts is less than $10,000.
(g) The parties waive any rights to maintenance.
(h) The total fair market value of all marital property, after deducting all encumbrances, is less than $50,000, the combined gross annualized income from all sources is less than $60,000, and neither party has a gross annualized income from all sources in excess of $30,000.
(i) The parties have disclosed to each other all assets and liabilities and their tax returns for all years of the marriage.
(j) The parties have executed a written agreement dividing all assets in excess of $100 in value and allocating responsibility for debts and liabilities between the parties.
(k) The parties have executed a written agreement allocating ownership of and responsibility for any companion animals owned by the parties. As used in this Section, "companion animal" does not include a service animal as defined in Section 2.01c of the Humane Care for Animals Act.

(Source: P.A. 99-90, eff. 1-1-16; 99-763, eff. 1-1-17; 100-422, eff. 1-1-18.)

(750 ILCS 5/453)

Sec. 453. Procedure; Judgment. The parties shall use the forms, including a form for the affidavit required under Section 454, provided by the circuit court clerk, and the clerk shall submit the petition to the court. The court shall expeditiously consider the cause. Both parties shall appear in person before the court and, if the court so directs, testify. The court, after examination of the petition and the parties and finding the agreement of the parties not unconscionable, shall enter a judgment granting the dissolution if the requirements of this Part IV-A have been met and the parties have submitted the affidavit required under Section 454. No transcript of proceedings shall be required.

(Source: P.A. 99-90, eff. 1-1-16.)

(750 ILCS 5/454)

Sec. 454. Affidavit. At the time of the hearing, the parties shall submit to the court an affidavit executed by both parties stating that all property has been divided in accordance with the agreement of the parties and that they have executed all documents required to effectuate the agreement.

(Source: P.A. 88-39.)

(750 ILCS 5/455)

Sec. 455. Copies of judgment. Upon entry of the judgment and upon payment of the fee, the circuit court clerk shall furnish to each party a certified copy of the final judgment of dissolution.

(Source: P.A. 88-39.)

(750 ILCS 5/456)

Sec. 456. Forms. The contents of forms to be used in simplified dissolutions shall be provided for by court rule. The circuit court clerk shall supply forms upon request for use by parties seeking simplified dissolutions under this Part IV-A.

(Source: P.A. 88-39.)

(750 ILCS 5/457)

Sec. 457. Brochure to describe proceedings. The circuit court clerk may make available a brochure that describes the requirements, nature, and effect of a simplified dissolution. The brochure should state, in nontechnical language, the following:

(a) It is in the best interests of each of the parties to consult attorneys regarding the dissolution of their marriage, and that the services of attorneys may be obtained.
(b) The parties should not rely exclusively on the brochure, and the brochure is intended only as a guide for self-representation.
(c) A concise summary of the provisions and procedures of the simplified dissolution procedure.
(d) The nature and availability of counseling services.
(e) If the parties waive their rights to maintenance, neither party can in the future obtain maintenance from the other.
(f) A statement in boldface type that a judgment for dissolution of marriage permanently adjudicates all financial rights arising out of the marriage, including the right to property in the name of one's spouse and the right to support from one's spouse (maintenance or alimony), that a judgment is final, and the parties waive their right to appeal, except that neither party is barred from instituting an action to set aside a final judgment for fraud, duress, accident, mistake, or other grounds at law or in equity.
(g) The parties to the marriage remain married persons and cannot remarry until a judgment dissolving the marriage is entered.

(Source: P.A. 88-39.)

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