Family Law

We often speak with people who believe that a divorce is imminent and wanting to know what steps to take to protect them and to make the process as easy as possible.  Here are some of our most common suggestions: Save Money Divorce can be very costly.  It is important to have funds available to […]

Serving Waukegan, Libertyville, Lake County, Gurnee & nearby areas of Illinois Posted: March 1, 2017 The decision to add a child to your family is serious and life changing. By providing a child with a loving and permanent home, adoptive families have discovered the unique joy of making a life-changing difference to a child. It

Selecting a lawyer who is a good fit for you is very important.  You will be addressing serious and sensitive matters and will likely be working regularly with that person for months if not years.  What is the best way to find a lawyer?  Check with friends or family who have been through something similar

A new law went into effect in Illinois in 2016 which dramatically changed the way what used to be called child custody is determined.  A court now makes decisions based on “allocation of parental responsibilities.”  One or both parents are chosen to be responsible for a child’s education, health, religion, and extracurricular activities.  The terms

Serving Waukegan, Libertyville, Lake County, Gurnee & nearby areas of Illinois Posted: November 19, 2016 In adoption matters and cases involving disputed child custody, Illinois courts will often appoint a guardian ad litem. The “GAL” acts as an advisor to the judge and normally prepares a report and recommendations as to how to proceed. This usually

Serving Waukegan, Libertyville, Lake County, Gurnee & nearby areas of Illinois Posted: October 19, 2016 Prenuptial agreements can be vital to protecting the interests of both you and your soon to be spouse.  While many couples avoid discussing this uncomfortable subject, a prenuptial agreement can become very valuable in the future.  Asking your fiancée to

The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act was significantly changed effective January 1, 2016.  One major change relates to the treatment of minor children arising from the marriage.   The terms “custody” and “visitation” will no longer be used.  Instead, the statute refers to “parental responsibilities” and “parenting time.” Under the new law, decision-making authority

Serving Waukegan, Libertyville, Lake County, Gurnee & nearby areas of Illinois Posted: September 7, 2016 Advertisements are everywhere offering low cost, inexpensive divorces.  What these teaser ads don’t tell you is that the discount rate is available only in very rare cases: spouses with limited assets, no children and an agreement among themselves on how

Serving Waukegan, Libertyville, Lake County, Gurnee & nearby areas of Illinois Posted: July 15, 2016 In Illinois, the amount of child support depends on the non-custodial parent’s net income and the number of children for which he or she is responsible. The chart below represents the minimum of what may be ordered according to the

The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act was significantly modified effective January 1, 2016.  The changes to the law apply to both pending and new cases.  Some of the key changes: Grounds for Divorce and the Separation Period: Fault on behalf of one of the spouses no longer needs to be shown.  Instead, the