Potential Reconciliation? Putting a Pause on an Illinois Divorce

 Posted on April 05, 2024 in Divorce

One of the most interesting and less commonly discussed topics of divorce is reconciliation. Couples fight and then make up all the time. Why should a married couple not be allowed to do the same? You might have thought your differences were truly irreconcilable, only to resolve your issues later on and put them behind you. What happens when the couple has already filed for divorce? In the state of Illinois, a couple can have their divorce withdrawn or paused if they decide they prefer to stay together. A qualified Warrenville, IL divorce lawyer can advise you on how you might want to proceed.

How Can We Pause Our Divorce?

If a couple has filed for divorce but both spouses think there is still hope to make amends, they have the option of putting their divorce on the reconciliation calendar. This means that their divorce proceedings are temporarily on hold, but this can only happen if both spouses request this and submit a reconciliation plan. This is a document that details how you and your spouse plan to examine whether reconciliation is possible.

A divorce can stay on the reconciliation calendar for up to one year. While your divorce is paused, you should use the time to work on underlying issues within your marriage and within yourselves as individuals. If you have gotten into bad habits that you have been meaning to break, now is the time to really work hard on that. If a mental or physical health issue was a source of tension in the marriage, now is the time to seek help or treatment. An important step in reconciliation is marriage counseling, which will provide you and your spouse with the opportunity to receive guidance and feedback from an outside expert and can help you understand whether reconciliation is possible.

If you and your spouse have realized either that you want to reconcile or that the marriage is unsalvageable, you can take your divorce off the reconciliation calendar before the year is over. If you decide to remain married, it is a fairly simple process to cancel your divorce. If you decide to proceed with the divorce, your case will pick up right where you left off when you put it on hold.

Schedule a Free Consultation with a DuPage County, IL Reconciliation Attorney

If you and your spouse realize you both want to try to reconcile but your divorce is already underway, it is not too late for you to examine all your options. A knowledgeable Naperville, IL divorce attorney can explain what is involved in reconciliation and help you proceed. Call Hensley Sendek Law at 630-358-9029 to schedule a free consultation.