Sare, we won't judge you. It is easy for us to give advice, but we aren't emotionally attached to the situation. You have to do what is right for you and what you are comfortable with.
Now that school is about over, maybe you can clear your mind and really think about what you want to do. Have you thought anything about interviewing another lawyer? I know you said that no one there gives free consults but it might not be a bad idea just to see if someone else tells you the same things. I read Mrs. H's thread in the MLC forum and she has been getting some really bad advice from her lawyer.
I did a little bit of research on D in illinois and it seems they don't have a traditional legal separation. I did read that you have have to live apart for two years before the D is granted! That is only for a no-fault D. Would you be filing for no-fault or on the grounds of adultery? Seems if you filed on the grounds of adultery then that would be taken into consideration for alimony/property division. FYI: I have no idea what I am talking about when it comes to the legal side of it, I just wonder if you lawyer talked about this. This is an excerpt from what I found online:
That the spouses have lived separate and apart for a continuous period in excess of 2 years and irreconcilable differences have caused the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage and the court determines that efforts at reconciliation have failed or that future attempts at reconciliation would be impracticable and not in the best interests of the family. If the spouses have lived separate and apart for a continuous period of not less than 6 months next preceding the entry of the judgment dissolving the marriage, as evidenced by testimony or affidavits of the spouses, the requirement of living separate and apart for a continuous period in excess of 2 years may be waived upon written stipulation of both spouses filed with the court.
Sara, I think you are stronger than you even know. You will know one day, when you look back on this and how you got through it. I think you have handled everything with dignity. (((((Sara)))))
