What a Divorce Judge Can Accept Through Judicial Notice
Illinois judicial notice can establish certain undisputed facts, but it cannot resolve contested family history by assumption.
Read the guideIllinois family-law library
Evidence and discovery in Illinois
Records, witnesses, discovery, and presenting reliable evidence in court.
Evidence and discovery
73–92 of 92 guides
Preserving Records Before and During a Divorce
Practical steps for keeping financial, parenting, and electronic records intact while Illinois divorce issues are being investigated.
Read the guideResponding to Document Requests in an Illinois Divorce
How Rule 214 document requests work, from identifying records to objections, organized production, and later updates.
Read the guideWhy Requests to Admit Need Immediate Attention
Illinois Rule 216 requests to admit can establish facts or document authenticity when a proper response is not served on time.
Read the guideAnswering Interrogatories in an Illinois Family Case
Written interrogatories require careful sworn answers about information, witnesses, and issues in an Illinois divorce.
Read the guideKeeping Divorce Discovery Responses Up to Date
New records, witnesses, and information can require supplemental Illinois divorce discovery responses.
Read the guideReviewing the Other Spouse’s Financial Affidavit
A financial affidavit is a structured statement of income, expenses, assets, and debts.
Read the guideProtecting Private Information in a Divorce Case
Financial and personal information may be needed in a divorce without every detail belonging in the public court file.
Read the guideConfidentiality When You Speak With Your Divorce Lawyer
Your lawyer’s duty of confidentiality is broad, but it is not identical to the attorney-client privilege used in evidence disputes.
Read the guideWhat an Opening Statement Does at a Divorce Trial
An opening statement gives the judge a clear outline of the disputed issues and the evidence expected to address them.
Read the guideTurning Divorce Documents Into Usable Court Evidence
Bringing a document to court is only the beginning.
Read the guideUnderstanding Subpoenas for Divorce Records and Testimony
A subpoena is a formal command for testimony, documents, or both.
Read the guideObtaining digital evidence without searching a spouse's private device
A spouse's phone or computer may contain relevant information, but marriage is not a reason to assume unrestricted access.
Read the guideArgumentative Questions at an Illinois Divorce Hearing
A courtroom question can challenge a witness without becoming an argument.
Read the guideQuestions That Assume Unproved Facts in Divorce Testimony
A question can contain an assumption that the witness disputes or that has not yet been established.
Read the guideReading Form 1040 During an Illinois Divorce
Form 1040 provides a useful map of reported income, deductions, tax, payments, and refunds.
Read the guideRepeated Questions at an Illinois Divorce Hearing
An examiner may return to a subject to clarify an answer or test consistency.
Read the guideTestifying From Personal Knowledge in an Illinois Divorce
A witness ordinarily needs personal knowledge of the facts described.
Read the guideReading a W-2 Wage Statement During Divorce
A W-2 reports annual employee wage and tax information, but it does not by itself explain current take-home pay or every source of income.
Read the guideWhat Discovery Does in an Illinois Divorce
Discovery is the formal process for obtaining information needed to evaluate and prove the disputed issues. It can clarify income, assets, debts, parenting facts, and witness evidence so that settlement and trial decisions rest on records rather than assumptions.
Read the guideThese guides provide general information. Individual facts, current law, and court orders determine the advice appropriate for your case.
Put the information to work
Family-law representation in Chicago.
When you need advice about your own situation, explore how Mia Tarbhai and Rose Tarbhai Law Group can help.