Lisle Family Law Lawyer

Family law is a broad area of law that deals with all processes related to marriages and families. These include divorce, the development and enforcement of parenting plans, and pre-divorce planning.

When you are working through a family law case, you want to work with a lawyer who can be your advocate. This means going beyond representing you; it means giving nuanced, personalized answers to your questions and providing you with the emotional support you need to work through your case while protecting your rights.

Divorce

When you know your marriage is over, the next step for you to take is to file for divorce and complete the process of legally ending your marriage. In every Illinois divorce, the couple’s assets and debts must be divided among the couple according to the doctrine of equitable distribution. This means that each partner receives a fair share of the marital estate based on his or her personal needs, which are determined by considering the following:

• The length of the couple’s marriage;
• Each partner’s income;
• Each partner’s age and health; and
• Whether the couple has a prenuptial agreement in place.

The court also considers additional factors. These factors can be found in the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act.

Parenting Plans

When a divorcing couple has minor children, a parenting plan is part of their divorce settlement. This is the legal order that outlines each parent’s time with the children and their parental responsibilities. Parenting plans are created with the children’s best interest in mind, which is determined by considering the following:

• The children’s relationships with each parent;
• The children’s personal needs;
• Each parent’s involvement with the children’s day-to-day lives; and
• If the children are mature enough to voice reasonable opinions, their preferences may be considered.

The court may also consider any additional factors it deems relevant.

Child Support and Spousal Maintenance

When the couple has minor children, a child support order is part of their divorce settlement. This is money paid by one parent to the other to help with the costs of raising a child.

When one partner sacrificed his or her career to devote time and energy to raising the couple’s children and managing their household, that partner may be entitled to receive spousal maintenance in their divorce settlement. This may be paid for a specified period of time or indefinitely, depending on the lesser earning spouse’s needs and circumstances.

Both of these types of order can be modified later if they no longer fit the couple’s needs and ability to pay.

Prenuptial Agreements and Pre-divorce Planning

Our firm also offers pre-divorce planning, a unique service through which we help individuals prepare for their divorces by developing strategies to insulate their assets and protect their rights and interests. We also help couples create effective, enforceable prenuptial agreements that can make the divorce process more streamlined if the couple chooses to end their marriage.

Work with an Experienced Lisle Family Lawyer

If you are considering filing for divorce or facing another family law issue, contact our team of experienced family lawyers at Women’s Divorce & Family Law Group today to set up your initial consultation with us.