“In a time of test, family is best,” reads a Burmese proverb.
Unfortunately, the proverb doesn’t always hold true for American families. In fact, family can be the cause of your test. If you are experiencing conflict within your family, you may need an experienced Chicago family law lawyer.
While it may seem stressful to enter litigation against a family member, sometimes you just can’t resolve differences outside of court. To protect your interests and finances, you must speak to a Vantage Group network family attorney any time family conflict intensifies.
Vantage Group provides an innovative solution for your family law needs. Our legal services team is available to meet with you for a free consultation and review your case. When you enroll in our subscription-based legal services, one simple monthly fee gives you access to our network of attorneys and legal support. Our in-house legal team reviews your case and assigns a network attorney based on your unique circumstances.
Contact us for a free consultation, or keep reading to learn more about how Chicago family law lawyers can help in your situation.
What Is Family Law?
Family law is the area of law that governs family relationships. Family lawyers help couples before marriage by drafting prenuptial agreements. Chicago family law lawyers also help couples in divorce and child custody proceedings. This area of law also includes legal proceedings related to paternity and adoption.
Family Law Practice Areas
When you experience a family conflict due to divorce, child custody, or another legal issue, you need experienced legal representation. Our network attorneys can assist you with the following sensitive legal matters.
Divorce
A divorce can be one of the most stressful experiences of life. It can also prove financially disastrous if you don’t have knowledgeable legal counsel. While our legal team can’t erase the emotional toll of divorce, we can protect your interests. Without effective legal representation, your emotions related to the divorce could impact your ability to negotiate a fair settlement.
The expedited legal process offered by Vantage Group enables you to handle divorce proceedings efficiently and move on with your life. Click here to speak with an experienced Chicago divorce lawyer.
Child Custody
Perhaps the most important decision made in divorce proceedings, child custody has a critical impact on your children’s lives. Illinois law recognizes both legal and physical child custody:
- Legal custody allows you to make decisions for your child, such as where they should attend school or whether they attend a religious service; and
- Physical custody means that the child lives with you most of the time.
Some couples share both legal and physical custody in joint custody arrangements. In other cases, one parent assumes control of both legal and physical custody. Our family law network attorneys advocate for a custody arrangement that prioritizes your child’s best interests.
Division of Assets
We help divide your assets fairly, stepping in to intervene in heated property arguments with your spouse. Our Vantage Group legal team wants you to have the assets you need to live comfortably after your divorce. We negotiate to achieve your best interest in property division.
Child Support
When a marriage ends, children need more nurture than ever before. Our network attorneys work to obtain adequate child support to meet your children’s care and provision needs.
Spousal Support
If you have served in a non-wage earning capacity during your marriage, you may worry about making ends meet after your divorce. Our network attorneys seek a level of spousal support that will meet your financial needs.
Annulment
Annulment is an alternative to divorce. Where divorce dissolves a marriage, an annulment makes the marriage as if it never legally existed. An attorney can help you seek annulment under Illinois law if a spouse could not consent due to these conditions:
- One spouse was underage,
- One spouse was intoxicated,
- One spouse has a mental disability,
- One spouse was fraudulently coerced into marriage, or
- One spouse married under duress.
Additionally, if a spouse is impotent and did not reveal the impotence before marriage, this is grounds for an annulment. Also, if a spouse is already married to someone else or the spouses are close relatives, these are grounds for an annulment.
Pre and Postnuptial Agreements
While prenuptial agreements may not seem like a romantic way to start a marriage, these documents can eliminate much stress. Couples may feel more confident in entering a marriage knowing that their financial interests are protected. A common misconception views postnuptial agreements as documents for troubled marriages. However, postnuptial agreements can take the financial stress off your marriage and allow you to strengthen your relationship without individual financial concerns.
FAMILY LAW ATTORNEYS WANTED
Are you a family law attorney licensed to practice in Illinois?
Vantage Group Legal is looking for experienced family law attorneys to join our network.
Learn more about our remote attorney jobs in Chicago.
What You Should Know About Illinois Divorce
To file for divorce in Illinois, one of the spouses must have lived in Illinois for 90 days prior to the filing. In certain cases, couples must live separate and apart for six months prior to filing for divorce, though this is not always necessary. Illinois eliminated fault-based grounds for divorce, so couples can seek a divorce based on irreconcilable differences.
In Illinois, divorces come in two forms: uncontested and contested. An uncontested divorce means that spouses both agree to the divorce and all terms of the divorce. Uncontested divorces are not that common. Usually, a couple experiences some conflict over divorce terms. A contested divorce involves issues of property division or child custody that require legal negotiation. A contested divorce might involve a couple asking some of these questions:
- Should we get a divorce?
- Where should the children live?
- How often should the noncustodial parent get visitation rights?
- How much child support should the noncustodial parent pay?
- Does a spouse need spousal support?
- Who gets the house?
- Who gets the pet?
- How do we divide property and financial assets?
- How do we divide debt?
- How does this divorce affect couples in the military?
A knowledgeable family attorney can help you navigate these complicated situations. After you contact Vantage Group for a free consultation, we will assign you a compassionate, skilled attorney who will handle your divorce with patience and discretion. Our legal team knows that this is a difficult time for you, and we want to eliminate as much of your stress as we can.
Steps in an Illinois Divorce
An Illinois divorce requires many steps to ensure you, your spouse, and your children receive protection and fair treatment. Having a knowledgeable family law attorney by your side throughout divorce proceedings can reduce your stress and allow for a more positive outcome.
Illinois divorces require these steps for a contested divorce:
- File a petition for a dissolution of marriage;
- Serve your spouse with the petition and a court summons;
- Your spouse enters their appearance by answering your petition;
- If you have children, the court may order you to attend mediation to resolve parenting issues;
- Litigation begins as you and your spouse negotiate the terms of your divorce;
- Your attorneys conduct discovery, exchanging financial records such as tax returns and bank statements;
- You can petition the court for temporary relief such as child support;
- Your attorneys will make every effort to settle your divorce before trial;
- If you and your spouse cannot agree on divorce matters, your divorce moves to trial; and
- At the end of divorce proceedings, the judge enters a divorce decree, which ends your marriage.
You can speed your divorce process along by working with your spouse to come to agreements without requiring court involvement. However, if you and your spouse experience a heated custody battle or another challenging issue, divorce proceedings could drag on for months.
Get Help with Your Family Law Matter Today
Whether you want an Illinois divorce or have another family law matter, Vantage Group can help you work through these trying circumstances. Contact us for a free consultation where we will listen to your experience and explain how our legal services work.
If you subscribe to Vantage Group legal services, our legal team provides personalized representation throughout your family law case. We handpick a network attorney uniquely suited to your circumstances, and we back up your skilled attorney with a team of legal support. You receive prompt, effective legal representation at a monthly subscription rate while saving time and money.
FAQs on Vantage Group
As people hear about Vantage Group’s innovative group legal service memberships, they have a few questions. Here, we’ll share answers to some frequently asked questions.
How Long Will My Divorce Take?
Your divorce time frame depends on whether it is contested or uncontested. If you and your spouse agree on most terms of the divorce, our legal team can expedite the process. If you and your spouse have serious disagreements, our network attorneys may take longer to negotiate an outcome in your best interest.
How Do You Choose the Divorce Attorney for My Case?
Our Vantage Group legal team chooses the Chicago divorce attorney that is uniquely suited for your case. We look for a network attorney with a strong record of success who offers compassionate representation of sensitive matters.
Is Vantage Group Different from a Law Firm?
Yes, Vantage Group offers group legal services in the form of a monthly subscription plan. Your monthly subscription gives you access to a handpicked lawyer from our network of attorneys and the legal support team needed for your case.
Further Family Law Reading
- How Much Is a Divorce in Illinois?
- Do Chicago Family Law Lawyers Give Free Consultations?
- Illinois Child Custody Laws
- Hiring a Cook County Divorce Lawyer
- Getting a Divorce in Cook County, IL
- How to Find the Best Divorce Lawyer in Chicago
- Low-Cost Lawyer for Uncontested Divorce in Chicago
- What Happens When You File for Divorce First?
- I Need a Divorce Lawyer and Have No Money