Bensenville, IL Family Law Attorneys

Lawyers Helping Families Resolve Disputes and Provide for Children's Best Interests in Bensenville, Illinois

When family members need to resolve legal disputes or other issues that may need to be settled in court, these cases can feel very personal. The outcomes of these matters can affect relationships between parents and children, as well as interactions between spouses or former partners, extended family members, and others. Understanding the best ways to approach these cases is not always easy, especially when a person understands how their family works but may not be familiar with the laws that will apply or the legal procedures followed in court. Because of this, legal representation from an experienced attorney can be essential.

At Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices, we provide help for people in Bensenville and other surrounding communities as they address family law matters. We can provide steady guidance during periods of uncertainty, making sure legal concerns will be addressed correctly so that family members can focus on their personal and emotional needs. Whether you are planning to grow your family through adoption, separate from your spouse or partner, establish legal rights as a parent, or address other issues that may affect your family, we are here to provide the help you need.

Adoption

A person may take steps to become the legal parent of a child who is not biologically their own. Adoption will create a permanent parent-child relationship that is recognized under the law. Our lawyers can assist with multiple types of adoption cases, including:

Stepparent Adoption

When a couple is married, and one spouse has a child from a previous relationship, the other spouse may serve in a parental role. They can take steps to formalize this relationship and become the child's legal parent. A stepparent adoption will give a stepparent the same parental rights as a biological parent. They will be able to maintain a relationship with the child if the couple separates in the future, and they will have an obligation to support the child financially. Our attorneys can help parents complete the adoption process while addressing any issues that may arise, including receiving consent from the other biological parent or advocating for that parent's rights to be terminated.

Relative Adoption

Relatives other than parents may sometimes step in to parental roles for a child. When a child's biological parents are unable to provide care due to illnesses, disabilities, incarceration, abandonment, or death, family members like grandparents, aunts, uncles, or siblings may take on the responsibility of raising a child. They may formalize this role through adoption, which will give them permanent parental rights and responsibilities.

Agency and Independent Adoption

Some families may expand by adopting children through adoption agencies or through private arrangements made directly with birth parents. Specific legal requirements will need to be met in these cases, and our lawyers can guide parents through the process. We will ensure that the proper agreements are put in place determining whether a child will have an ongoing relationship with their biological parent or parents.

Family Law

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Divorce Adoption Legal Separation Guardianship Child Visitation CONTACT US TODAY

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Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements

Agreements made between couples can be beneficial, providing clarity about how financial issues will be handled and addressing what will happen during a possible divorce. A couple may sign a prenuptial agreement before getting married, or spouses may create a postnuptial agreement during their marriage. These agreements will typically address financial issues, including how property will be divided in a divorce and whether one spouse will pay alimony to the other.

To be enforceable, both parties must voluntarily agree to a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement. The parties are required to provide each other with a fair and reasonable disclosure of their assets and financial obligations, or they may agree to waive their right to a disclosure. Our attorneys can help our clients draft and negotiate these agreements, making sure they address their financial concerns and providing them with the assurance that they will be protected if they choose to get a divorce in the future.

Legal Separation

Many couples may experience marital difficulties, but some couples may want to avoid a divorce. They may want to stay married for religious or personal reasons, or they may want to maintain some of the benefits that marriage provides. In these situations, a couple may choose to legally separate, which will allow them to live apart while remaining married. In a legal separation, a separation agreement will be created that will address issues such as property division, child custody, and spousal support.

Our lawyers can help clients weigh the benefits and drawbacks of legal separation so that they can make an informed decision about the best path to take. We work with clients to create separation agreements that will meet their needs. By making sure the legal issues related to a separation are addressed correctly, we can help clients avoid disputes while providing them with a path toward divorce if they choose to end their marriage in the future.

Establishing Paternity

When a child is born to parents who are not married, the identity of the child's father may be known, but he will not be automatically granted parental rights. Paternity will need to be legally established to ensure that the father will be able to share child custody and to create an obligation to provide the child with financial support. Paternity will also give the child the right to receive an inheritance, obtain government benefits like Social Security, be covered by health insurance, and have access to family medical history.

There are a few different paths that may be followed to establish paternity. A voluntary acknowledgment of paternity is often the easiest method, and it can be completed when both parents sign a form and file it with their local family court. However, if parents disagree about a child's parentage, either parent may take action in court to establish paternity. In these cases, a judge will usually order genetic testing to confirm the biological relationship between the father and the child.

Once paternity has been legally established, either parent may take steps to address child custody issues in family court. The parents may negotiate a parenting plan that will detail how parental responsibilities will be shared and when the child will spend parenting time with each parent. Child support orders may also be put in place to ensure that both parents are contributing to the child's financial needs.

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Contact Our Bensenville Family Law Attorneys

Whether you are building your family, addressing issues related to your children, or need to resolve other disputes or legal issues that may affect you and your family members, the team at Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices can help you navigate this situation correctly. We will provide you with clear guidance on the steps you can take to resolve legal issues successfully while advocating for solutions that will meet your needs in the years to come. Contact our Bensenville, IL family law firm at 630-932-9100 to arrange a free consultation.