Glen Ellyn Family Law Attorneys

Lawyers for Adoption, Paternity, Fathers' Rights, and Other Family-Related Issues in Glen Ellyn, IL

Legal matters that affect families may involve some very personal issues, and they can be emotionally challenging. Whether a case involves determining parental rights, resolving custody disputes, or expanding a family through adoption, it is important to have skilled legal representation. The attorneys at A. Traub & Associates provide clients with the guidance needed to navigate complex family law cases. With our legal knowledge and experience, we help our clients protect their rights and take steps to resolve these matters effectively.

Each family law case is unique. Our lawyers work closely with our clients to understand the circumstances of their situations and develop legal strategies that will help them achieve their goals while protecting their family relationships. We provide compassionate support during every step of the legal process.

Establishing Paternity

A man will need to be legally recognized as a child's father before he will be able to assert parental rights. This recognition is automatic in cases where parents are married at the time of a child's birth. However, when parents are not married when a child is born, legal paternity must be established before a father will have rights related to child custody. Establishing paternity will also be necessary to ensure that a father can be required to pay child support.

The methods available for establishing legal parentage include:

• Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity (VAP): This is the most straightforward method, and it can be completed when both parents sign a legal form to acknowledge the identity of a child's father. A VAP can be completed at the hospital when the child is born, but it can also be filed later.
• Judicial Paternity Order: If paternity is disputed, either parent may take legal action to establish parentage through a family court proceeding. A judge may order the parties to take a DNA test to determine whether a purported father is a child's biological parent. Once the biological relationship is established, the judge will issue an order of paternity, creating a legal relationship between the father and the child.

Establishing paternity is a crucial first step toward protecting the rights of fathers and children. Once paternity is confirmed, a father may take steps to address child custody and establish a parenting plan that will provide him with parenting time with the child and allow him to share parental responsibilities. This will ensure that he will have the opportunity to build a strong relationship with the child. Our attorneys assist clients with both voluntary and contested paternity proceedings, ensuring that proper procedures are followed and working to achieve solutions that will protect children's best interests.

Advocating for Fathers' Rights

Many fathers want to be involved in their children's lives, and they may need to take steps to ensure that they will have a say in how children will be raised and will be able to spend enough time to build lasting parent-child relationships. In child custody matters, the law does not favor one parent over the other based on gender. However, fathers may feel that they are at a disadvantage in family law cases, and they may be concerned about the steps they can take to exercise their parental rights.

Our lawyers work with our clients to protect their fathers' rights, helping to ensure that they will have ongoing parenting time with their children while sharing in decision-making authority. In contested custody cases, the court will take steps to find solutions that will serve the best interests of children, and factors such as a child's relationship with each parent, the ability of the parents to cooperate, and the stability of each parent's home environment may be considered.

We help clients draft comprehensive parenting plans that fully outline each parent's responsibilities and provide detailed schedules specifying when a father will be able to spend time with his children. When necessary, we can provide representation in court to help fathers seek equal or primary parenting time.

Adoption Representation

There are many situations where a person or couple may take steps to assume permanent parental rights and responsibilities for a child. Adoption can be beneficial for children, parents, and other family members, but it will involve extensive legal requirements and potential complications. Our attorneys represent clients in all types of adoption matters, ensuring that they comply with all applicable laws while advocating for solutions that will protect the best interests of children.

We can assist with:

• Agency Adoptions: Children may be placed with adoptive parents through licensed public or private adoption agencies. Our lawyers can coordinate with agencies, prepare for home studies, and take steps to finalize the legal adoption process.
• Private Adoptions: In some cases, a biological parent may enter into a direct agreement with adoptive parents. Legal counsel is essential in these cases to ensure that parental consent for adoption is obtained and that the rights of all parties will be protected.
• International Adoptions: When adopting a child from another country, parents will need to navigate complex immigration laws and international agreements. Our attorneys can help families complete the necessary documentation and other legal requirements to ensure that they can bring an adoptive child to the United States.
• Stepparent Adoptions: Our lawyers work with married couples to help establish legal relationships between one spouse and the other spouse's biological child. This can help to formalize parental relationships and ensure that the child will continue to have a relationship with their stepparent in the future.
• Domestic Partnership Adoptions: In cases where a non-biological parent in a same-sex couple wishes to adopt their partner's child, legal steps must be taken to establish parental rights. Our attorneys help domestic partners complete second-parent or co-parent adoptions, protecting the legal relationship between the child and both parents.
• Related Adoptions: A relative such as an uncle, aunt, or grandparent may take steps to adopt a child and ensure that they will have the authority to make decisions about how the child will be raised. Our attorneys can help families establish these legal relationships, and we will work to ensure that children's best interests are protected in these situations.
• DCFS Adoptions: When a child has been placed in foster care by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and is eligible for adoption, foster parents may be able to adopt. Our firm helps families understand their rights and complete the legal process that will allow them to provide a permanent home for the child.

Contact Our Glen Ellyn, Illinois Family Law Attorneys

Family law cases can be deeply personal, and they may involve complex legal issues. The attorneys at A. Traub & Associates can provide the legal representation needed to resolve these matters successfully. We work closely with clients to find solutions that will protect the well-being of their families. Contact our Glen Ellyn adoption and paternity lawyers today by calling 630-426-0196 to schedule a consultation.