Custody

Any time a child is born issues immediately arise and continue for at least the next 18 years that follow as to which parent will be making legal decisions for that child. Where the parents are married such process of decision making is already determined good or bad. When the parents are not married or when the married parents of a child seek a divorce, there are laws in the State of Illinois which are binding upon the parties as to the who and what decisions can be made. Such decisions may arise from the first few days of life such as a circumcision up through and past the day when a parent gives the State of Illinois authority to issue a driver license to a child taking into account all the considerations including but not limited to how the costs of such decisions are paid for by the parents. It is important to accept the fact that unless both parents agree it will cost each of them money to establish who will be making future decisions. It will cost money to pay the court, pay the attorney, and possibly pay money for an attorney to represent the child.

When parties can not agree as to who will be making decisions and what those agreements will be the legal process will do it for them in a process that is deigned to force the parties to negotiate. Using a crude description the steps are as follows attorney settlement discussions, mediation, child attorney, custody evaluation, and trial. Each following step is exponentially more costly than the other.

Any attorney can read a book or statute on custody. Not many attorneys have years of experience as well as having been through a divorce as a child. My representation for your case will focus on listening to what you tell me, and how to convey to you what can be done for your specific situation. Many times the pool of options are not great and it requires an serious effort by your attorney to find a positive solution to serve you and the best interest of the child while taking into consideration the real day to day demands of non statutory factors relating to employment, daycare, grandparent participation, new paramours, and the tendencies of individual judges. I have and will do this for you.

For me a custody struggle is about listening to you and conveying your information to others so that you can be heard in effort to care for the children in your life.