Practice Areas

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A dissolution proceeding and the facts and issues involved are constantly changing as the case progresses. We will help you find your way through what is often one of the most stressful times in your life. 

Previously known as custody and visitation, this set of issues describes the time the children spend with each parent after the split, and how decisions in the children's lives will be made.  

The schedule of time is not prescribed by law.  If you are familiar with alternating weekends and one or two nights with a "nonresidential" parent, that is the most typical arrangement.  When parents work Monday through Friday and children are in school, such a schedule often works best.  Every case is different, however, and must take into account the schedules of the parents, schedules of the children, the distance between households, and other factors.  The children must have stability and the security of knowing they will have both parents in their lives.  We will talk to you about all of the factors a court must consider in deciding these issues, and how they apply to the specific facts of your case, as we develop a strategy to meet your goals.

We will also talk about our experience with the judges in our courts.  We have practiced in McHenry County courts for years, and know how each judge tends to exercise discretion within the bounds of the law in deciding cases.

Child support is set by a formula established by state statute and the Illinois Department of Human Services.  Courts may depart from guideline support, but they rarely do so, and only in cases with unusual facts.

Also known as alimony or spousal support, maintenance can be ordered paid by a higher income spouse to a lower income spouse.  The law considers the number of years of marriage and the incomes of both in arriving at a figure.

If you are the victim of domestic violence, you must protect your safety and that of your children first.  You cannot successfully navigate a divorce case, nor parent your children if you in an unsafe environment.  The law has taken great strides in recent decades to protect victims, but more work remains to be done.

We have experience in hundreds of domestic violence cases, representing victims and those falsely accused.  In these emotional and stressful proceedings, we will be at your side with knowledge of the law and the facts of your case.

We have negotiated and drafted dozens of prenuptial agreements to protect assets and incomes of clients.  To date, none has ever been set aside or found to be unenforceable.