While it was widely believed that the state's first same-sex divorce was filed in Peoria June 1, Windy City Times has found that five other same-sex divorces were filed at the same moment in Cook County, bringing the number of immediate same-sex divorces filed up to six.
On June 15, Windy City Times reported that Mark Bayer began filing for a divorce from Dr. Nathan Fredrick at 8:30 a.m. June 1, making him the first same-sex partner to file for divorce. Joshua P. Haid, Bayer's attorney, released a press statement later that day confirming the news.
However, at the same moment Haid was filing paperwork in Peoria, Richard Wilson, a Chicago divorce attorney, was at the Daley Center downtown filing the same paperwork for five clients.
"I wanted to be in the door as soon as it opened because I've been waiting too long for this," Wilson said, noting that his clients had been waiting between two to seven years to file for divorces in Illinois.
The beginning of civil unions in Illinois has also meant the start of same-sex divorces because partners who wed or got civil unions outside of the state are now recognized by law. As civil unions went into effect on June 1, so did same-sex divorces.
Wilson said he arrived at the Daley Center at 7:45 a.m. and waited downstairs until offices upstairs opened. He said during that time, he happily watched a parade of excited same-sex couples arriving at the Daley Center to get their civil-union licenses.
Wilson began filing the five dissolutions in succession. Windy City Times has not listed the names of those filing for divorce because they requested privacy.
Haid and Wilson filed for divorces at 8:31 a.m., the first moment possible as the courts opened for business just a minute before. Both attorneys furnished documents to Windy City Times, confirming that the first dissolutions are stamped 8:31 a.malthough because Wilson filed multiple divorces, some were stamped a few minutes after that time.
According to Haid, his client might still be first to complete a same-sex divorce in the state. Bayer's divorce was finalized June 13. None of Wilson's have yet to go through.
While Wilson recognized the historical significance of the his filings, he said he was more concerned with helping his clients out of bad situations than being the first to file a same-sex divorce. Many of his clients have wanted divorces for years, he said. Now, they'll be able to finally dissolve their legal connections to exes.
"I was going to be there on the first day at the first moment to finally get these people their divorces, to get these people what they're entitled to," he said. "This is a milestone if for no other reason than for the first time in the nearly 20 years I've been practicing law, people have relationship recognition, not just at the front end but at the back end."