Chicago Family Law Attorneys

Family law covers a wide range of legal matters concerning marriage, divorce, and child custody. These are inherently sensitive topics. Unlike a business dispute between large companies, family law cases are more personal, intimate affairs. Emotions often run high, and as a result, you need experienced yet compassionate legal representation to guide you through the raw pain and anger toward a satisfactory resolution of your problem.

At the Law Offices of George M. Sanders, P.C., our Chicago family law attorneys advise and assist clients who are contemplating or going through a divorce or who need assistance with other family issues. Our lawyers pride themselves on providing flexible and responsive legal services to individuals who are dealing with a difficult family situation. Whatever your situation, we are ready and willing to listen to your problems and advise you on the best course of action going forward.

Comprehensive Family Law Services

Not all family law matters involve contested court hearings. Indeed, one of our critical goals at the Law Offices of George M. Sanders, P.C. is to avoid unnecessary litigation. We know that in many cases a divorced or estranged couple can come to an agreement on most, if not all, terms of their separation. We also understand that every case is unique and each family situation provides its own special challenges that need to be addressed.

Here are just some of the family law subjects our attorneys can help you with:

• Legal separation: Sometimes couples decide they need to live apart without seeking an immediate divorce. This is known as “legal separation” in Illinois and the parties may negotiate a marital separation agreement that is enforceable in court.
• Divorce: A divorce is a lawsuit whereby one spouse seeks to terminate a marriage. Parties are typically required to live separate and apart for at least six months.
• Property Division: Illinois is what is known as an “equitable division” state when it comes to dividing marital property in a divorce proceeding. Equitable division means that a judge will not necessarily divide a couple’s property 50/50, but rather determine what is “fair and reasonable” under the circumstances. Keep in mind, Illinois judges will not consider either spouse’s fault in breaking up the marriage when making a property division.
• Child Custody and Child Support: If the parties cannot resolve the issues of child custody and child support through agreement, a judge must make the final decisions regarding these issues. Even if the parties come to an agreement, the court must approve their decisions. A court will look to what is in the “best interests of the child” when determining appropriate custody arrangements and Illinois has specific legal guidelines in place for calculating child support.
• Prenuptial agreements: While nobody goes into a marriage hoping it will fail, many couples plan for the worst by signing a prenuptial or premarital contract. Such agreements can resolve certain financial issues in anticipation of separation or divorce but they cannot deal with child custody or child support issues.
• Orders of Protection: Unfortunately, there are some cases in which marital or family discord threatens to turn violent. If you are living in fear of imminent harm to you and your children, you can ask an Illinois judge to issue an order of protection.

Nobody wants to air their family’s private business in a public courtroom. At the same time, you should never hesitate to engage the legal system in order to assert your rights and advocate for the best interests of your family. If you need advice from a skilled Chicago family law attorney, call the Law Offices of George M. Sanders, P.C., at 312-624-7645 to schedule an initial consultation with a member of our team today.