“Leveling the playing field”

(c-1)  As used in this subsection (c-1),  "interim  attorney's  fees

and  costs"  means  attorney's fees and costs assessed from time to time

while a case is pending, in favor of  the  petitioning  party's  current

counsel,  for reasonable fees and costs either already incurred or to be

incurred, and "interim award" means an award of interim attorney's  fees

and costs.  Interim awards shall be governed by the following:

         (1)  Except for good cause shown, a proceeding for (or relating

    to)  interim  attorney's  fees  and  costs  shall be nonevidentiary,

    summary in nature, and expeditious.  When a party files  a  petition

    for  interim  attorney's  fees  and  costs  supported by one or more

    affidavits that delineate relevant factors, the court (or a  hearing

    officer)  shall assess an interim award after affording the opposing

    party a reasonable opportunity to file  a  responsive  pleading.   A

    responsive  pleading  shall  set  out the amount of each retainer or

    other  payment  or  payments,  or  both,  previously  paid  to   the

    responding  party's counsel by or on behalf of the responding party.

    In assessing an interim award, the court shall consider all relevant

    factors,  as  presented,  that  appear  reasonable  and   necessary,

    including:

              (A)  the  income  and  property  of  each party, including

         alleged marital property within the sole control of  one  party

         and alleged non-marital property within access to a party;

              (B)  the needs of each party;

              (C)  the realistic earning capacity of each party;

              (D)  any  impairment to present earning capacity of either

         party, including age and physical and emotional health;

              (E)  the  standard  of  living  established   during   the

         marriage;

              (F)  the  degree  of  complexity  of the issues, including

         custody, valuation  or  division  (or  both)  of  closely  held

         businesses,  and  tax planning, as well as reasonable needs for

         expert investigations or expert witnesses, or both;

              (G)  each party's access to relevant information;

              (H)  the  amount  of  the  payment  or  payments  made  or

         reasonably expected to be made to the attorney  for  the  other

         party; and

              (I)  any other factor that the court expressly finds to be

         just and equitable.

         (2)  Any assessment of an interim award (including one pursuant

    to  an  agreed  order)  shall  be  without  prejudice  to  any final

    allocation and without prejudice as to any claim or right of  either

    party  or  any counsel of record at the time of the award.  Any such

    claim or right may be presented by the appropriate party or  counsel

    at  a hearing on contribution under subsection (j) of Section 503 or

    a hearing on counsel's fees under subsection  (c)  of  Section  508.

    Unless  otherwise  ordered by the court at the final hearing between

    the parties or in a hearing under subsection (j) of Section  503  or

    subsection  (c)  of  Section  508,  interim  awards,  as well as the

    aggregate of all other payments by each party to counsel and related

    payments to third parties, shall be deemed  to  have  been  advances

    from  the parties' marital estate.  Any portion of any interim award

    constituting  an  overpayment  shall  be  remitted   back   to   the

    appropriate  party  or  parties,  or,  alternatively,  to  successor

    counsel, as the court determines and directs, after notice.

         (3)  In  any  proceeding under this subsection (c-1), the court

    (or hearing officer)  shall  assess  an  interim  award  against  an

    opposing  party  in  an  amount  necessary to enable the petitioning

    party to participate adequately in  the  litigation,  upon  findings

    that  the  party  from whom attorney's fees and costs are sought has

    the financial ability to pay reasonable amounts and that  the  party

    seeking  attorney's fees and costs lacks sufficient access to assets

    or income to pay reasonable amounts.  In determining an  award,  the

    court   shall   consider   whether  adequate  participation  in  the

    litigation requires expenditure of more fees and costs for  a  party

    that  is  not  in control of assets or relevant information.  Except

    for good cause shown, an  interim  award  shall  not  be  less  than

    payments  made  or reasonably expected to be made to the counsel for

    the other  party.   If  the  court  finds  that  both  parties  lack

    financial  ability  or  access  to  assets  or income for reasonable

    attorney's fees and costs, the  court  (or  hearing  officer)  shall

    enter  an  order  that  allocates  available  funds for each party's

    counsel,  including  retainers  or  interim   payments,   or   both,

    previously  paid,  in  a  manner  that  achieves  substantial parity

    between the parties.

         (4)  The changes to this Section 501 made  by  this  amendatory

    Act  of 1996 apply to cases pending on or after June 1, 1997, except

    as otherwise provided in Section 508.