Family Law Attorney in Cook County

Family law is a broad and important category of law that helps many families successfully address the legal hurdles they encounter. If you have a family law concern, don’t wait to consult with an experienced family law attorney in Cook County. 

Family Law Practice Areas

Family law can encompass all of the following legal matters:

• Divorce, including high-asset divorce, LGBTQ divorce, and military divorce 
• The equitable distribution of property in divorce
• Business valuations in divorce
• Alimony
• Child custody arrangements
• Child support
• Modification of support and/or custody orders
• Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements
• Child relocation
• Paternity
• Adoption 

Divorce Matters Are a Primary Concern of Family Law

Divorce is a complicated legal matter that includes many critical components, including:

• Division of Marital Property – Those assets that you and your spouse acquire together during your years as a married couple are considered marital property, which is to be divided equitably (or fairly in relation to the circumstances involved) in the event of divorce. While the concept is clear, executing this division is often one of the most complicated and contentious elements of divorce. This division becomes even more complicated in high-asset divorces and divorces involving business ownership.
• Child Custody Arrangements – Hammering out a parenting plan, which amounts to the schedule each parent has with their shared children, can become very complicated very quickly. In Illinois, custody is divided into legal custody and physical custody, and each form can be either sole or joint. Legal custody refers to who will be making important decisions about matters such as the children’s education, religious upbringing, extracurriculars, and medical care, while physical custody refers to which parent the children live with (and according to what schedule). Even if one parent is awarded sole physical custody, it is very likely that the parenting plan will include a visitation schedule for the other parent.
• Child Support– Child support calculations are based on state guidelines. These guidelines are predicated on balancing the required financial support between both parents post-divorce. The amount of time each parent has the children with him or her and each parent’s earnings play a role in how child support is calculated. It’s important to note that the judge also has considerable discretion when it comes to setting child support.
• Alimony– Alimony is called spousal support or maintenance in Illinois, and it generally refers to ongoing payments made by one ex-spouse to the other post-divorce. While alimony isn’t a factor in every divorce, it can be an important tool if the divorce will leave one spouse with a financial need and the other with the financial means to help counter this need. Many variables contribute to whether alimony is awarded and, if so, to its amount and duration.

Turn to an Experienced Family Law Attorney In Cook County

The accomplished Cook County family law attorneys at The Law Offices of George M. Sanders are committed to helping you successfully resolve your family law concern as effectively and efficiently as possible. To learn more, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.