Northbrook Family Law Attorney
Family law attorneys cover the many legal issues that arise within the context of the family. These can include:
- Divorce & legal separation – Marriages seldom end easily or pleasantly. An experienced divorce lawyer can help to ease the pain and get you the best result. This experience is essential where the parties have been married for many years or where property division can be complex.
- Alimony– Spousal maintenance or alimony is not automatic. The spouse seeking support must expressly request it. The court will examine many factors before deciding to award it. If the court finds support appropriate, it will then determine how much support and for how long. Illinois law provides guidance for calculating the amount.
- Child Support – Under Illinois law, parents are required to support their children up to the age of 18 and, under some circumstances, beyond that. Generally, in a divorce, the child-support/noncustodial parent will be directed to pay child support, calculated under a precise formula. Arami Law, a Northbrook family law firm, has extensive experience in establishing, modifying, and enforcing child support orders. Paying – or not – under an existing order can have serious consequences. Arami can help you resolve your child support issues.
- Prenuptial agreements – Although it may seem potentially bad for the pre-wedding joy you want to experience, it is wise to consider preparing a prenuptial agreement. A prenup can be especially important if you have complicated property, financial, or child-related issues going into the marriage. Again, an experienced law firm can help you with this delicate but necessary process.
- Child custody & visitation – One of the most contentious issues in a divorce case is access to the children. Illinois law divides its focus among legal custody (parental decision-making) and physical custody (parenting time), although the term custody officially no longer exists in Illinois. Parenting time is, essentially, which parent the child is with when and for how long. Decision-making states which parent will make what decisions for the child.
- Grandparent rights – Grandparents don’t necessarily have much in the way of rights relating to their grandchildren. For this reason, a law firm seasoned in handling these cases can provide valuable assistance in obtaining access to your grandchildren in the face of hostile parents.
- Guardian ad litem – A “guardian for the case” is appointed when the court concludes that the parents in a divorce cannot focus on the child’s best interests and well-being. Arami Law is a highly experienced Northbrook family law firm that can assist you in getting or dealing with the Guardian.
Although many of these issues arise around divorce, not all do. But, they all fall within the expertise of a family law practitioner. Arami Law has been handling Northbrook family law since 2004 and will be happy to share that experience with you.
When Do I Need a Family Lawyer?
Family issues can be very contentious. The issues covered are very personal and cover areas of your life that strike at the heart of who you are and who you want to be. The presence of neutral third parties – or even a not-so-neutral third party representing each of you – can make it much easier to decide these issues. This is particularly true in a divorce where there are children in the marriage.
Family Law Isn’t Just Divorce Law – Contact a Northbrook Family Law Firm
On the other hand, divorce is a big part of any family law practice. Divorce involves property settlements, visitation, custody, medical decisions, and a whole range of issues that don’t arise in day-to-day living. For this reason, you must have a family law attorney who has a lot of experience with Illinois family law.
Child-Related Issues
Many of the problems that a family law attorney will help clients will relate to children. Among these areas of law not discussed above are:
- Adoption
- Paternity Suits
- Parenting Plans
Marriage-Related Issues
There are also marriage related family law issues that include:
- Legal Separations
- Property Settlements
- Distribution of Assets
An experienced family law firm can help you to reach the best results for your family in all of these highly emotional areas. Contact an outstanding Northbrook family law attorney at Arami Law today.