Deciding to end a marriage is one of the most significant and emotionally complex decisions a person can make. Before you ever meet with an attorney or file a single court document, the steps you take in the weeks and months beforehand will shape the outcome of your case. The quality of your settlement, the structure of your custody arrangement, and the financial trajectory of your life after divorce are all influenced by how prepared you are when the process begins. At KHK Family Law & Divorce Attorneys, Attorney Matthew Katz draws on over 20 years of family law experience and a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Chicago to help clients enter this process informed, protected, and ready.
Gather Your Financial Documents Before Filing
One of the single most important things you can do before initiating a divorce in Illinois is to gather every financial record you can access. In many marriages, one spouse manages the household finances while the other has limited visibility into the details. If you are in that position, you must act before filing. Waiting until the case has started often means the other party has already restricted access.
Collect multiple years of tax returns, both personal and business if applicable. Pull together bank statements from every account, including accounts that may be in one spouse’s name only. Gather investment and retirement account statements, mortgage documents, vehicle titles, and any business valuations or financial statements if either spouse owns a business. These records will form the foundation of your case and will directly influence how the court evaluates your financial situation.
The more complete your documentation from the outset, the stronger your position. Learn more about how our team approaches financial preparation at khk.law.
Understand the Financial Affidavit Requirement
Illinois law requires every party in a divorce case to file a Financial Affidavit, also known as a Financial Statement, within 30 days of initiating the case. Cook County judges are especially rigorous about this document. It requires a full disclosure of your assets, your gross and net income, your debts, and how you file your taxes.
This document is not a formality. It is the court’s first and most direct window into the financial picture of each party, and it sets the tone for everything that follows. A judge uses it to determine appropriate amounts for child support and spousal maintenance, and to evaluate how property should be distributed. Errors, omissions, or a document that appears inconsistent with other financial records can create credibility problems that are difficult to overcome. Taking the time to complete this document accurately and thoroughly with your attorney’s guidance is essential.
Choose the Right Family Law Firm
Not every attorney is the right fit for your case, and the decision deserves careful thought. When evaluating a family law firm, credentials matter but they are not the only consideration. How a firm communicates with its clients, who makes the strategic decisions, and how attorneys handle the pressure of contested cases are equally important.
At KHK Family Law & Divorce Attorneys, our commitment to client communication is built into how we operate. Every client call and every client email receives a response by the end of the next business day. We hear regularly from clients who came to us after leaving firms where they felt ignored, left in the dark, or pressured into decisions they did not understand.
One arrangement that has caused significant harm to Illinois divorce clients is the flat-fee divorce. On the surface it sounds appealing. In practice, it often means the attorney has no financial incentive to fight your case once the hours exceed the value of the flat fee. These arrangements can result in clients being pushed toward settlements they do not want, settlements they will live with for the rest of their lives. At KHK Family Law & Divorce Attorneys, we believe you deserve an attorney who is motivated to fight as long as your case requires.
Understand That You Are the Decision-Maker
One of the most important things to understand about the attorney-client relationship in a divorce case is who holds ultimate authority. Your attorneys are your advocates and strategists. The legal work, analysis of evidence, and advice on risk and benefit at every stage all come from the legal team. But the final decisions belong to the client.
Attorney Katz often tells clients that the legal team is like knights in the trenches, fighting the battle. The client is the king or queen in the castle who decides when to continue fighting and when to accept terms. This reflects the actual structure of attorney-client authority under Illinois law. A competent attorney keeps clients informed so that every decision made is a genuinely informed one.
Do Not Let Urgency Override Your Interests
Many clients enter the process wanting it to be over as quickly as possible. That impulse is completely understandable. Divorce is painful, and the desire to move forward with your life is natural. But in Illinois, judges do not grant divorces piecemeal. Every financial issue and every parenting matter must be resolved before a final divorce judgment is entered.
Accepting inadequate terms to speed up the process is one of the most common and most costly mistakes clients make. Agreements about child support, spousal maintenance, and property division are binding and can take years and significant legal fees to modify. The Marital Settlement Agreement and the Allocation Judgment, which governs every aspect of your children’s lives, deserve your full attention. Read them carefully. Ask questions. Make sure you understand every provision before you sign.
Prepare for the Emotional Dimension
Divorce is not only a legal process. It is a deeply human one that carries significant emotional and psychological weight. Attorney Matthew Katz brings a perspective to this reality that few family law attorneys can offer. With professional training in psychology and a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Chicago, the emotional dynamics of divorce cases are familiar terrain.
Having qualified mental health support during this process is not a luxury. It is a practical necessity. An attorney can advise on legal strategy, but cannot also serve as a therapist. Having a mental health professional to support you through the grief, anxiety, and stress of divorce protects both your wellbeing and your decision-making clarity. KHK Family Law & Divorce Attorneys also includes bilingual staff members fluent in both English and Spanish, including our managing partner, ensuring every client has full access to the guidance they need.
