The Illinois maintenance (alimony) guidelines have been subject to more continual changes from 2015 through 2019 than in any other area of Illinois divorce law. We have had significant amendments to the Illinois law regarding maintenance every year from 2015 through 2019. 2015 brought to Illinois the original maintenance guidelines and those incorporated within the rewrite to Illinois Family Law in 2016. There were significant changes in 2017 and 2018 and even more critical changes in 2019. The 2019 changes were the result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that was passed at the end of 2017. Our guidelines had to change one additional time because no longer is maintenance deductible to the payor for Illinois divorce cases entered after January 1, 2019. See the Gitlin Law Firm’s article regarding the Illinois maintenance guidelines as well as the Gitlin Law Firm’s 2018 blog addressing the 2019 amendments.
