Source: Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO)
Jurisdiction: IL
Topic: divorce

Title: Getting a divorce (Illinois)
Heading: Dividing property and debts

When the two of you can't agree on who gets what, the judge splits the marital property and debts for you. That covers money, belongings, real estate, debt, and investments. Illinois divides it 'equitably,' which means fairly rather than strictly fifty-fifty, so an equitable split isn't always an equal one. Anything either spouse owned before the marriage is usually treated as non-marital and stays with that spouse, though there are exceptions.

Tags: property
equitable distribution
debt
marital property
URL: https://www.illinoislegalaid.org/legal-information/getting-divorce
Retrieved: 2026-06-03
License: Facts summarized in our own words from public Illinois divorce guidance; this is not ILAO's text. See the source URL for ILAO's full guide. Legal information, not legal advice, so verify against the official source before relying on it.