A major shift in the Illinois divorce landscape took place when Gov. Patrick J. Quinn signed into law Public Act 98-0961 last month. This law will completely change the way maintenance, formerly known as alimony, is calculated for the vast majority of Illinois residents going through a divorce. Although not effective until Jan. 1, the new law amends the current guidelines used to determine a party’s maintenance obligation to now include a formula to determine maintenance. This formula is similar to that …