Addison Family Law Attorneys

Lawyers for Paternity, Fathers' Rights, Adoption, and More in Addison, IL

When disputes between parents or other types of cases are handled in family courts, they often involve issues that can affect the lives of multiple family members. The decisions made in these cases can impact a family for years to come, and resolving these cases can be difficult due to the emotions involved.

Whether a couple is navigating a divorce, parents need to make decisions about child custody, a family is pursuing an adoption, or family members need to address concerns related to guardianship or other issues, they will need to make sure legal matters will be handled correctly. An experienced family law attorney can provide the guidance and representation needed to resolve these cases successfully.

At A. Traub & Associates, we help clients in Addison address a wide range of family law concerns. We work with our clients to find solutions while helping them take steps to protect the best interests of children and other family members. By providing support during emotional matters, assisting with negotiations, and representing clients during court proceedings, we can help find solutions that will meet a family's needs both now and in the future.

Establishing Paternity

Parents may have certain expectations for how they will share custody of their children after they separate. However, if a father has not been recognized as his child's legal parent, he will have no parental rights. This may be an issue if a child's parents were never married. Before decisions about child custody can be made or a child support order can be put in place, paternity will need to be established.

Establishing paternity creates a legal relationship between a father and child. This will not only allow parents to address child custody and child support, but it will also provide certain benefits for the child, including the right to receive an inheritance from the father, the right to receive Social Security benefits or other benefits through the father, the right to receive health insurance coverage through either parent, and the ability to access information about their family medical history.

Paternity may be established in several ways under Illinois law. The most common way is for both parents to sign a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity, which is a form that states that the father is the child's biological parent. If there are disputes about the identity of a child's father, either parent may file a petition to establish paternity in court, and a judge may order DNA testing to confirm the biological relationship between the father and the child.

Protecting Fathers' Rights

Fathers play an important role in their children's lives, but they may be concerned that after a divorce or separation, their access to their children could be limited, and they may be unable to maintain the strong, loving relationships their children deserve. Our attorneys can help protect fathers' rights by:

• Working with fathers to establish legal paternity for children
• Negotiating parenting plans that provide fathers with appropriate parenting time and decision-making authority
• Making sure child support obligations are calculated fairly
• Addressing concerns about parental alienation or other violations of child custody or parenting time orders
• Modifying child custody or child arrangements to meet a family's changing circumstances

Adoption Services for Families

Adoption can provide children with stable and supportive family relationships. It will create a permanent legal bond between parents and a child, allowing parents to provide the care a child needs while ensuring that the child's best interests will be protected. The adoption process will involve extensive paperwork, background checks, home studies, and legal procedures.

Our lawyers can help families complete the adoption process while addressing any issues that they may encounter. We can assist with several different types of adoption cases, including:

• Stepparent Adoptions: When a person marries someone who already has a child, they may take steps to become the child's legal parent. The other biological parent will be required to give consent for the adoption, although if necessary, steps can be taken to terminate the parental rights of a parent who is unfit or who has not been involved in their child's life.
• Relative Adoption: Grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, or other relatives may adopt children under certain circumstances, such as when a child's parents have died or are unable/unwilling to raise their child.
• Private and Agency Adoptions: A child's birth parents may choose to place the child up for adoption either through an adoption agency or a private agreement with adoptive parents. The proper legal agreements will need to be put in place in these situations to address issues such as whether biological parents will maintain a relationship with the child.
• DCFS Adoptions: Parents may choose to adopt a child through the foster care system. These cases may involve complex legal issues, specific requirements that apply to foster parents, or disputes about whether the parental rights of a child's biological parents should be terminated.

Surrogacy Agreements

Some people or couples may choose to have a child through a surrogate because of fertility issues or to avoid pregnancy. The gestational surrogacy laws in Illinois detail how surrogacy arrangements may be handled. Surrogacy agreements can protect the rights of all parties involved in these situations. They will address important issues such as parental rights, medical decision-making during pregnancy, payment for surrogacy services, and the steps that will be followed after the birth of a child.

Surrogacy agreements can involve complex legal considerations and emotional concerns that could affect all parties involved. Legal representation can be crucial to make sure agreements comply with Illinois law while preventing potential disputes. At A. Traub & Associates, we work with intended parents and surrogates to draft and negotiate surrogacy agreements that will protect all parties involved in these matters.

Contact Our Addison, Illinois Family Law Lawyers

Family law cases may have an impact on the relationships between family members, the financial stability of the parties involved, and potential disputes or legal issues that may arise in the future. Having experienced legal guidance during these proceedings can help families avoid unnecessary complications while protecting their rights. At A. Traub & Associates, our lawyers work to ensure that our clients can address their legal concerns correctly. Contact our Addison family law attorneys at 630-426-0196 to schedule a consultation.