Jesse Jackson Jr. files for divorce from his wife Sandi

(FOX 32 NEWS) - Former U.S. congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. filed for divorce Monday afternoon from his wife, Sandi, in Cook County Circuit Court.

Once Chicago's power couple, Jesse Jackson Jr. and wife Sandi seemed to have big futures in front of them. He was a congressman, she was an alderman.

In 2013, the Jacksons pleaded guilty to spending $750,000 from campaign funds on personal items. Both were sent to prison but their sentences were staggered for their kids’ sake.

“This is a couple that should have been following in his footsteps and they just crashed so hard,” Bill Wigoda, a Chicago attorney, said.

Wigoda said the papers filed monday afternoon in Cook County Circuit Court are fairly typical with no details as to the cause for divorce.

“They are very typical. They are very low key,” Wigoda said.

What is interesting is why Jackson Jr. filed in Cook County and not in Washington D.C., where the family including the kids are living.

“I’m guessing that he thinks he would probably have an advantage of filing in the Circuit Court of Cook County because despite of what's happened to him, I think his family is still well-liked and he thinks that would be an advantage,” Wigoda said.

Court documents revealed that the former congressman is asking for substantial allocation of parental responsibility, what may have been thought of as "custody."

Under a new state law parents no longer fight for what used to be called "custody" but Jackson Jr. is asking for substantial allocation of parental responsibility. He wants to be the parent who has residence of the children

Jackson Jr. filed divorce papers monday afternoon in Cook County Circuit Court even though the couple and their two kids, Jesse III or "Tre" and Jessica, all live in D.C.

Now, the ball is in Sandi's court. She has 30 days to file an appearance and a response to his divorce filing.

The court could rule this case belongs in Washington D.C. and if Sandi files in D.C. the judges in Cook County and the nation’s capitol would have to get together to see if they can resolve the jurisdictional conflict.

The divorce could take as little as 90 days and up to a couple of years to be final.