Family Law Lawyers

Top-Rated Chicago Family Law Attorneys – The Law Office of Grace & Thompson

When a couple gets married they take an oath to stay together no matter what “until death do us part.” But unfortunately, nationwide approximately 50% of all first marriages end in divorce. There are several studies that show that Illinois has a lower divorce rate than most states, but Cook County still averages approximately 30,000 divorce filings annually.

Family law is the larger umbrella for legal services involving “family matters” and entails matters including divorce or what is known as dissolution of marriage, parentage cases for parties who have a child and are not married, child support, custody and allocating parental responsibilities, division of parenting time, spousal support, and more.

Illinois is a no fault divorce state, so it does not matter what the reason is for the divorce and instead is focused on principles of equity and fairness. Decisions regarding children are made with their best interest in mind and not those of the parents. Illinois is also a community property state, meaning that all assets and debts accumulated during the marriage are part of the “marital estate” that, by law, should be divided equally among the partners, regardless of which partner brought the particular asset or debt into the marriage.

Family law matters can be sensitive and the participants can often become emotional. That is why it is important that family law cases be handled by competent, experienced, and dedicated family law attorneys. At the Law Office of Grace & Thompson, our team of family law lawyers offers a superior knowledge of the law, coupled with proven expertise and experience spanning several years.

We are best equipped to help clients navigate through one of the most challenging and stressful periods in their lives. Our attorneys understand how emotionally draining legal issues involving loved ones can be. That is why we focus on helping our clients deal with their legal matters ethically and compassionately.

Family Law Attorneys Focusing on Your Needs

Our family law practice offers comprehensive legal services that span various aspects. We can zealously advocate for your best interests in these areas:

Divorce / Dissolution of Marriage

Troubled marriages often deprive the parties involved of genuine happiness. A divorce is never an easy decision, but it can be a path to recover what has been lost to an unhappy marriage. Just because two people become unhappy in their marriage does not mean that they cannot move on from the marriage and in many instances become civil again, however, this will require the expertise of a qualified attorney.

llinois divorces are governed by the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. As your divorce attorneys, we ensure to advise and educate clients on the divorce process, the duration, and the expected challenges. Depending on the peculiarities of your case, we will work with the client to build a unique plan that gives them a stable foundation and helps them achieve favorable results.

Child Support

One of the most contentious aspects of divorce cases is child support. Settlement agreements must clearly spell out the provisions of child support, including daycare, medical coverage, educational expenses, and educational expenses.

Child support under Illinois law is established by taking both parents’ financial circumstances into consideration. Child support is based on the parents’ combined gross income. The parents’ combined gross income establishes the parents’ combined duty of support and then that duty is apportioned in conjunction with the ratio that each parent brings to the combined gross income. For example, if Parent A makes $5,000.00 per month and Parent B makes $2,500 a month and the combined duty of support for the child or children is $1,500.00 per month, then Parent A would be responsible for $1,000.00 per month and Parent B would be responsible for $500.00 per month.

This issue is further complicated by the fact that the “non-residential” parent begins to receive credits for shared parenting time under Illinois law, which reduces the “non-residential parents’ obligation for support if they have the child or children at least 146 overnights per year. As your family law attorney, we will work hard to ensure a fair computation of child support, taking all the above-listed factors into consideration.

Parentage

Having children outside of marriage is becoming increasingly more common. Illinois has enacted family laws addressing the rights and responsibilities of unmarried parents and their children as enumerated in the Illinois Parentage Act. Under the Act, parent-child relationships are legally recognized, however, navigating these concerns requires the expertise of a family law attorney.

Often times, the “non-custodial parent” in Parentage actions does not have regular contact with their child or children and in some instances has not seen the child or children for a period of time. Our parentage lawyers at the Law Office of Grace & Thompson to will represent your best interests and those of your child and are experienced at handling the nuances that parentage cases can present.

Child Custody and Parenting Time

Child custody and parenting time issues must be carefully handled to protect the interests of the parties involved. Illinois no longer recognizes the term “custody” in divorce and parentage cases and instead focuses on the allocation of parental decision making and parenting time. Clients will benefit from a family law attorney who will advocate for their interests in being involved in the decision-making process in the areas of education, medical care, extracurricular activities and child care and to ensure that the client gets the parenting time they desire.

When you work with our family law lawyers, we assess your situation and carefully develop a plan to navigate the custody process. We are committed to helping you achieve a fair Allocation Judgment and parenting schedule that are in the best interest of the minor child / children and the family

Orders of Protection

The law does not tolerate any form of abuse and harassment within a home. In addition, family members, including dating or married couples, are specifically protected under domestic violence laws. Orders of Protection can be granted without any notice to the alleged offender and without the alleged offender even being present in Court. Orders of Protection are governed under the Illinois Domestic Violence Act and are only allowable if the Court finds that there is some familial or dating relationship between the parties.

Orders of Protection can be obtained in two basic ways: a criminal Order of Protection can be obtained in conjunction with an arrest and charge of domestic battery; and a civil Order of Protection can be obtained by filing a Petition for an Emergency Order of Protection in the Domestic Relations Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County, either on its own or as part of an existing divorce or custody proceeding. Both the criminal and civil Orders of Protection ultimately have the same effect upon the Respondent and can result in much higher probability of arrest and prosecution for violations of the Order of Protection.

Suppose you have been a victim of such abuse, including physical abuse, interference with personal liberty, harassment, or involuntary confinement or on the other hand you have been accused of some form of family abuse. In those cases, you can always count on our family law attorneys to represent your best interests.

Among the remedies available to Petitioners requesting Orders of Protection are: prohibiting the Respondent from all communication with the Petitioner by any and all means; specifically prohibiting physical abuse, threats, harassment, intimidation and interference with personal liberty, or wilful deprivation; barring the Respondent from entering or remaining in any shared residence, no matter whether or not the Respondent owns the residence out-right or regardless of whether the alleged victim is on the lease or title; requiring the Respondent to attend counselling; and awarding the Petitioner physical custody of any minor children of the relationship and prohibiting the Respondent from having parenting time. In fact, Orders of Protection are often times used as a strategic measure against the Respondent in an existing divorce or custody proceeding to gain the upper hand in a custody battle. If the minor children are included as protected parties in the Order of Protection, it may take months or even years in some instances for the Respondent to get his or her parenting time restored.

Our family law attorneys can help you apply for an Order of Protection and we can help you if an Order of Protection is brought against you. We have expert knowledge of the abuse laws in the area and are always ready to press or defend these charges.

Schedule A Consultation Today!

We have a dedicated team of family law attorneys serving Chicagoland area. Our goal is to represent your interests and those of your family zealously. We establish a seamless communication channel, with swift responses to clients’ needs at all times.

Over the years, we have handled many divorces and family law matters, from simple mediations to complex legal cases. Our attorneys approach each case uniquely with experience and compassion.

Feel free to arrange an initial consultation today. Our team of expert family law attorneys are always available to discuss your case.

Free Consultation