Disclaimer: All facts gleaned from the filings stated hereafter are only as truthful as the petitioner. The tone of this article expresses a style of writing historically employed by America’s greatest writers and, as such, is for opinion purposes only. No intentional harm is due. Do not read if the topic of divorce (even your own) causes you emotional distress. Continue at your own risk.
In a quiet break from a long chapter, Bryan Spreyne walked into the Circuit Court of Cook County and filed for dissolution of marriage on May 13, 2025. The life he had once shared with Elizabeth Spreyne—beginning on a summer day in June 1998—had stretched over nearly 27 years, bound by ceremony, challenged by time, and finally undone by silence that settled in after their separation in January of this year.
The filing, submitted by attorney William D. Leslie of Scannell & Associates, opens with ordinary legal formality. Bryan and Elizabeth, now 52 and 54 respectively, are both long-rooted in Chicago, their lives having unfolded largely within Cook County. The marriage had once nurtured three children, all of whom are now grown and independent.
Bryan’s petition does not rail or accuse. Instead, it simply states the foundation has cracked beyond repair. Irreconcilable differences, a term heavy with restraint, signal the end. No scandal, no eruption—just a gradual unraveling that now demands the court’s measured hand.
There is no agreement yet on property division or debt responsibility. Bryan asks the court to weigh statutory maintenance and to allow for an equitable division of assets, including retirement accounts and marital property. He also requests that each keep their respective non-marital assets and bear their own legal fees. Lastly, Elizabeth is given the option to return to her maiden name, Van de Velde, should she choose to reclaim it.
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