Glendale Heights, Illinois Family Law Attorneys

Lawyers for Adoption, Paternity, and Other Family Law Issues in Glendale Heights

Cases involving family law issues can touch on some of the most personal parts of people's lives. The decisions made in family court can affect the relationships between parents, children, and other family members. They can have an impact on a family's finances, and they may determine what resources will be available to meet children's needs as they grow up. Understanding the issues that may be addressed in family law cases may not always be easy, and in some cases, disputes may arise that will need to be resolved. Legal help from a family law attorney can be crucial in these cases to ensure that the rights of family members will be protected.

At A. Traub & Associates, we work with families in Glendale Heights to address legal issues that they may encounter. We provide our clients with compassionate, dedicated representation while advising them on the best steps they can take to achieve their goals. With decades of experience in family law matters and an understanding of the stress, uncertainty, and conflict that our clients may face, we can take steps to meet our clients' needs. We will explain each step of the legal process and ensure that family members will be able to move forward with confidence as they address their concerns.

Legal Help With Adoption Cases

Adoption creates a permanent legal relationship between a child and parents. When a child is adopted, parents will have the same rights and responsibilities as biological parents. Our lawyers can assist with:

• Stepparent Adoption: When a person wishes to adopt the child of their spouse, this will establish a legal relationship with the child, ensuring that the stepparent will have parental rights in the event of a divorce or separation and requiring them to provide support for the child. Our attorneys can help ensure that the right steps are taken during these adoptions, including addressing any disputes related to the termination of the parental rights of a child's other parent.
• Related Adoption: A grandparent, aunt/uncle, sibling, or another relative may take steps to adopt a child in a situation where the child's parents have died or are unable or unwilling to serve in parental roles. Our lawyers can help families resolve any disputes that may arise in these cases while making sure relatives will be able to provide for children's needs.
• Agency Adoption: Parents may work with a licensed adoption agency to identify a child who may be adopted and complete the adoption process. We can work with parents in these situations to ensure that they meet all legal requirements while establishing agreements that may or may not allow for contact between a child and their biological parent(s).
• Foster Care Adoption: When a family fosters a child through the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, parents may take steps to formally adopt the child and establish permanent family relationships. Our attorneys can help parents address any issues that may arise during these adoptions, including disputes with biological parents who are unwilling to give up their parental rights.

Our lawyers can address the legal concerns that may arise during adoption cases, including determining whether biological parents may voluntarily consent to the termination of their parental rights or advocating for the involuntary termination of parental rights in court. We can help parents complete background checks, home studies, and other requirements during the adoption process. We work to ensure that adoptions can be completed as smoothly as possible.

Establishing Paternity

In some family law cases, steps may need to be taken to recognize a father as a child's legal parent. A legal parent-child relationship will allow a child to receive child support, health insurance coverage, and other benefits. It will also give a father the right to address issues related to child custody.

Paternity can be established in multiple ways. If there are no disputes about whether a man is a child's biological father, he and the mother may sign a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity. When parents disagree about paternity, or when one parent will not cooperate, a petition may be filed asking a judge to take steps to establish paternity. These cases will usually involve genetic testing. Once a DNA test confirms that a man is a child's biological parent, a judge may issue an order to establish paternity.

Our attorneys can help mothers or fathers take steps to establish paternity in cases where parents are unmarried or where someone other than a mother's spouse is a child's father. We work with clients to gather the necessary documentation, determine whether parents may agree to establish paternity, file petitions to establish paternity, complete genetic testing, and address issues related to child custody and child support after paternity has been established.

Fathers' Rights in Family Law Matters

A father may sometimes feel like he will face an uphill battle when addressing family law issues. A father may want to maintain involvement in his child's life, but he may not have parental rights until paternity is legally established. Fathers may also face concerns about whether they will be able to be involved in decisions about how their children will be raised or whether they will be able to spend meaningful time with their children on a regular basis.

Our lawyers can help address issues related to fathers' rights, and we work with fathers who want to protect their relationships with their children. We can assist with the negotiation of parenting plans, and we can work to resolve any disputes that may arise during the process. Our goal is to help our clients protect their relationships with their children and find solutions that will allow them to be the parents their children deserve.

Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements

When couples are preparing for marriage, they may choose to put a written agreement in place addressing how property and finances will be handled during their marriage, while making decisions about how certain matters will be addressed during a divorce. A prenuptial agreement may be signed before a couple's wedding, and it may provide some protection for spouses and help avoid uncertainty about what will happen if they decide to get a divorce in the future. A postnuptial agreement can address many of the same issues, and it can be created at any time after a couple gets married.

These agreements can address which assets will be classified as non-marital property, ensuring that each spouse will be able to maintain ownership of assets they brought into the marriage. An agreement may also detail how marital property will be divided in a divorce, and it may determine whether either spouse will be entitled to spousal maintenance. For these agreements to be enforceable, both parties must enter into them voluntarily, and a full financial disclosure will be required. Our attorneys can work with clients to create clear, enforceable agreements that will meet their needs.

Contact Our Glendale Heights, IL Family Law Attorneys

At A. Traub & Associates, our lawyers can provide compassionate legal representation when addressing family law issues, and we can provide guidance on the best ways to resolve disputes, protect parental rights, and provide for children's best interests. Schedule a consultation with us by contacting our Glendale Heights family law attorneys at 630-426-0196.