Family Law Issues

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY

Buffalo Grove Law Offices concentrates its practice in the area of family law. Family law cases include concerns about divorce, separation, paternity, adoption, child custody, child support, college, division of property and debt, family violence and more.We handle family law cases, as well as cases related to the family law setting. These may include real estate closings, short sales, wills, Powers of Attorney for Health Care, Powers of Attorney for Property, and other matters that arise in the context of a family law case. The fact that we concentrate in the family law area gives us the ability to concentrate on issues that arise in the family law area, including case law, prior and new statutes that can affect your case.

Other Areas of Family Law That We Handle

  • Minor emancipation: We can assist in the emancipation of a minor matter, whether we represent the teenager or the parents. Sometimes, it is in the best interest of the minor child and the family that the minor child is emancipated. Sometimes, it is not.

  • Grandparents Rights: We also handle situations regarding grandparent’s rights and responsibilities. These situations are often custody, guardianship, and grandparent adoption.

  • Stepparent Rights: When a parent marries or remarries after the birth of a biological child, the stepparent wants to adopt the child. Stepparent adoptions help to create a stronger family unit. We assist in this type of situation.

  • Guardianships and conservatorships: When someone can no longer care for themselves, someone else needs to step in to be their guardian or conservator. We can assist in this type of situation.

  • Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements: People sometimes need to make critical decisions about the effect of the relationship on assets owned before the marriage, and other issues before they marry. Prenuptial agreements are drafted before a marriage, and postnuptial agreements are drafted during the marriage, when circumstances warrant. Both types of agreements may be contrary to the state of the law, as far as a later dissolution of the relationship is concerned. It is critical for you to know what you can and cannot agree to, and what needs to be included in such an agreement.

Name Change

In a divorce proceeding, you can simply include language that you are entitled to change your name, in order for you to be able to do so. If you do not include this in your divorce decree, you still need an order of the court in order for you to change your name. The court clerk can provide you with documents to begin the name change process, either for yourself or your children. Sometimes a person will not get a name change during the divorce, although they may want to, because they want to maintain the same name that the children have. The court, in a divorce, will allow you to change your own name, but the children will more than likely need to maintain the last name of the other parent. It may be different in different situations, but this is what you can expect.

You need to know that Illinois law requires you to notify the Secretary of State within 10 days if you change your name. You must get a new driver’s license or ID card, vehicle title, and registration documents that show the name change. You will need to bring your current driver’s license (or ID card), and certified documents that show your name change. These documents may include a marriage certificate, divorce decree, or other court order that shows your old name and your new name.

Contact An Arlington Heights Family Law Attorney

Call our Arlington Heights, Illinois office at (847) 772-8579or contact us online to discuss your questions, concerns and options in an affordable initial consultation.

ORDER OF PROTECTION STANDS AGAINST BAD STEPDAD

By Buffalo Grove Law Offices | July 21, 2021 | Comments Off on ORDER OF PROTECTION STANDS AGAINST BAD STEPDAD

Father sought an Order of Protection (OP) against stepfather of Father’s three daughters.  Stepfather lived with Mother and the three girls. Father alleged that stepfather physically and sexually abused two of the girls. The girl’s ages were then 7 and 4 (S.C.). The Court entered a plenary OP, after hearing. A plenary OP lasts for two…

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HOW DO YOU PROVE AN EQUITABLE ADOPTION? THERE WAS NO ACTUAL ADOPTION.

By Buffalo Grove Law Offices | July 21, 2021 | Comments Off on HOW DO YOU PROVE AN EQUITABLE ADOPTION? THERE WAS NO ACTUAL ADOPTION.

Father filed in parentage court.  He wanted custody, visitation, and child support from Mother.  He said that he had adopted his former fiancee’s daughter, when he and fiancée were together.   She had adopted the orphan child from Slovakia. Father could not adopt then, as the parties were not married and he was not a Slovak.…

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IS A CONVICTED CHILD SEX OFFENDER ENTITLED TO VISITATION RIGHTS?

By Buffalo Grove Law Offices | July 21, 2021 | Comments Off on IS A CONVICTED CHILD SEX OFFENDER ENTITLED TO VISITATION RIGHTS?

Father was convicted of a sex offense. With a minor child outside of Father’s family. The statute said that he could not get court-ordered visitation.  The law provided that a non-custodial parent who is a convicted child sex offender is not entitled to visitation rights.  Until he successfully completes his criminal sentence.  And “a treatment…

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GUARDIAN CAN FILE FOR DIVORCE FOR THE WARD

By Buffalo Grove Law Offices | July 21, 2021 | Comments Off on GUARDIAN CAN FILE FOR DIVORCE FOR THE WARD

This case considered whether the court should overrule the long-standing case of In re Marriage of Drews, 115 Ill.2d 201 (1986). The Drews’ case held that a plenary guardian was not able to initiate dissolution of marriage proceedings on behalf of the ward. The answer is ‘yes. This court believed that a guardian does have…

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YOU’VE GOTTA COME UP WITH A GOOD ARGUMENT

By Buffalo Grove Law Offices | July 21, 2021 | Comments Off on YOU’VE GOTTA COME UP WITH A GOOD ARGUMENT

Parties got divorced. Wife also got an Order of Protection (OP) against Husband. Husband claims that the divorce decree is not valid. He insists that he is still legally married.Now it is four years later. Wife had gotten extensions of the OP against Husband. Husband appealed. He did not believe there was enough evidence against…

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GRANDPARENT CUSTODY OF MINOR CHILD

By Buffalo Grove Law Offices | July 21, 2021 | Comments Off on GRANDPARENT CUSTODY OF MINOR CHILD

The child’s mother died. The maternal grandmother wanted custody.  So did the child’s father. The child had not been living with either the mother or the father. That allows a third party to file for custody. A third party can’t ask for custody if the child is living with either parent. Such a third party…

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