Posted on August 14, 2026 in Child Custody / Parental Responsibilities

Parenting plans are a necessary part of custody proceedings in Illinois. If parents agree, they can submit one plan together. If they do not agree, each parent generally submits a proposed plan, and the court will order mediation unless there is a reason mediation would not be appropriate. If the parents still cannot agree, a judge will decide the disputed issues based on the child’s best interests.

A Cook County, IL child custody attorney can advise you if you and your co-parent are having trouble agreeing on a parenting plan in 2026.

Are Approved Parenting Plans Required in Illinois?

Under 750 ILCS 5/602.10, parents usually must file a proposed parenting plan within 120 days after a petition for allocation of parental responsibilities is served or filed. The parents can file one plan together or file separate plans. The court can extend the deadline for good cause.

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 Posted on July 30, 2026 in Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements

A postnuptial agreement can help married couples decide how certain financial matters will be handled if they later divorce. If you and your spouse are already considering divorce, you may wonder whether it is too late to negotiate one.

A postnup may or may not be a viable option depending on the circumstances. However, even if you’ve missed the ideal window for drafting a postnuptial agreement, a Chicago postnuptial agreement lawyer can help you understand other possibilities for maintaining control of your assets if your marriage ends.

Can You Still Sign a Postnuptial Agreement If You’re Considering Divorce in Illinois?

Illinois spouses can enter into a postnuptial agreement after marriage. However, if divorce is already expected, the agreement’s purpose and the circumstances surrounding its execution may affect how it is classified and enforced.

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 Posted on July 18, 2026 in Family Law

A home study is an investigation of a person's background, household, and ability to care for a child. 

Home studies are most common in adoption and foster-care proceedings. In a disputed parenting case, a court may also order an investigation that includes an assessment of one or both parents’ homes. 

Depending on the type of case, it may be conducted by a child welfare agency or another qualified professional appointed or approved by the court. If you're facing a home study in 2026, a Cook County, IL family law attorney can help you understand what's expected and how to prepare.

What Does a Home Study in Illinois Involve?

Home studies are thorough. A licensed investigator gathers information from several sources to build a complete picture of the household and the people in it.

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 Posted on June 29, 2026 in Family Law

"Parentage" refers to the legal relationship of parents to their children. Whether a same-sex couple is assumed to be the legal parents of their children depends mostly on whether that couple is married or not. This is very similar to how the law treats parentage in heterosexual couples.

Even for married same-sex couples, however, there are some additional steps that are worth considering. These can reinforce the legal ties to any children. If you and your partner are wondering how you can ensure that Illinois law will recognize your relationship with your child in 2026, a Skokie, IL parentage lawyer can help.

How Does Illinois Establish Parentage for Married Same-Sex Couples?

Under the Illinois Parentage Act of 2015 (750 ILCS 46/204), spouses are automatically presumed to be the legal parents of any child born during their marriage. This is true of same-sex couples as well as heterosexual ones. No separate filing is required at birth to establish parentage in these cases. At birth, only the gestational or birth parent is automatically listed on the child’s birth certificate. The second parent can be added after parentage is established.

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 Posted on June 11, 2026 in Child Custody / Parental Responsibilities

Parents may want to relocate for many reasons, such as a new job, educational opportunities, family support, or a fresh start. However, if they share custody or parenting time with another parent, they must proceed carefully before moving with their child. Failing to follow the law could lead to serious legal consequences.

If you are interested in relocating with your child in 2026, a Rolling Meadows parental relocation lawyer can help you make sure you follow the proper procedures.

Why Are Co-Parents Required to Follow Relocation Laws in Illinois?

When a move would affect an existing parenting arrangement, Illinois law requires additional steps once the relocation exceeds certain distance limits. In these situations, courts focus on the child's best interests when deciding issues related to parenting time, decision-making responsibilities, and the potential impact of the move on the child's relationship with each parent.

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 Posted on May 22, 2026 in Child Support

Child support orders aren't designed to stay exactly the same until the child grows into an adult. Circumstances change, and orders can change with them. Whether or not this can be done outside of a courtroom depends on how your original child support order was established.

If you need to change a child support order in 2026, a Chicago, IL child support lawyer can help you understand what options are available to you.

How Does Your Type of Child Support Order Affect the Modification Process in Illinois?

Illinois has two main types of child support orders: judicial orders and administrative orders. The type you have determines where and how modification happens.

Judicial Orders

A judicial order is one that was entered by a family law court. These are often part of a divorce, parentage, or custody case. If you have a judicial order, any modification has to go through the court. You file a petition and must then demonstrate to the court that the old order isn’t working anymore. The court then decides whether to modify the order.

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 Posted on May 13, 2026 in Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements

If you own a business and you're getting married, a prenuptial agreement deserves serious consideration. This is true whether your business is a small startup, a family operation you inherited, or a well-established company. No one likes to go into marriage imagining how the chips would fall if things were to go wrong. However, divorce can put a business at significant financial risk. Having some protections can give you peace of mind and security as you begin this new chapter.

A premarital agreement is one of the most reliable tools for protecting a business. If you're weighing this decision in 2026, a Skokie prenuptial agreement attorney can help you understand the benefits of writing up a prenup.

What Happens to a Business Without a Prenup in an Illinois Divorce?

Illinois is an equitable distribution state. This means marital property is divided fairly but not necessarily equally. The courts make decisions about what is marital and non-marital property based on the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (750 ILCS 5/503). A business you owned before the marriage is generally considered non-marital property. However, many business owners find that the line between their personal and business finances blurs over time. In this case, some of the business may be marital property.

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 Posted on April 24, 2026 in Family Law

A knock at the door from a Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) investigator can be petrifying for a parent or caregiver. Whether the report came from a neighbor, a teacher, or someone else entirely, the investigation that follows is serious and may have lasting consequences for your family. However, knowledge is power, and understanding the what and why of DCFS investigations can help you respond in the best possible way to the investigation.

If you're facing a DCFS investigation in 2026, a Cook County family law lawyer can help you understand what's happening and protect your rights throughout the process.

What Triggers a DCFS Investigation in Illinois?

In Illinois, DCFS is required to investigate any report of suspected child abuse or neglect. These reports can come from mandatory reporters – people required by law to report suspected abuse, like teachers, doctors, and social workers – or from the general public.

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 Posted on April 11, 2026 in Spousal Support

When your ex stops paying spousal support – or keeps paying late – it adds financial stress on top of an already difficult situation. The good news is that Illinois law gives you tools to enforce a support order if needed. If you're dealing with a spouse who won't pay in 2026, our Rolling Meadows, IL spousal support lawyer can help you take action.

What Happens When Someone Misses Spousal Support Payments in Illinois?

Spousal maintenance, commonly known as spousal support or alimony, is a court order under 750 ILCS 5/504. Missing a payment is considered a violation of a court order. In Illinois, a spouse who fails to pay can be found in contempt of court and face legal consequences. When your ex doesn't comply, going back to the judge is the right move.

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 Posted on March 23, 2026 in Adoption

If you’re adopting a child from their biological parent, it’s important to understand how much that parent’s wishes can impact the process. This could be to help your own anxieties about the adoption going smoothly. It can also help you know how to respond if the biological parent has a sudden change of heart with regard to you adopting their child. 

A Chicago family law attorney can help you with any questions about the adoption process you may have in 2026.

Does a Biological Parent Have to Consent to an Adoption in Illinois?

Under the Illinois Adoption Act (750 ILCS 50/8), consent or surrender is required from a biological parent before a child can be adopted unless the court finds that the parent is an "unfit person." There are a few other unusual circumstances where consent isn’t required, like the child’s "father" not being their biological father. In most cases, the parent's rights must either be voluntarily given up or involuntarily terminated by a court.

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