Family law problems can affect where you live, how you spend time with your children, your financial security, and the relationships that matter most to you. When these issues arise, understanding your rights and the legal process can help you make decisions based on more than the pressure of the moment.
Keller Legal Services represents individuals and families in Naperville in matters involving divorce, children, support, property, parentage, and other areas of family law.
Some clients come to us because a divorce has already been filed. Others are considering separation and want to understand their options before taking action. Parents may need help establishing or changing parenting arrangements, resolving a child support dispute, or enforcing an existing court order.
Whatever stage you are in, the first step is identifying the legal issues involved and understanding how the decisions you make now may affect you and your family going forward.
A family law case may involve one focused issue or several interconnected problems.
Keller Legal Services assists Naperville clients with matters involving:
These subjects frequently overlap. A divorce involving children, for example, may require the spouses to address property and maintenance while also establishing parental responsibilities, parenting time, and child support.
Our role is to help clients understand how those individual issues fit together rather than approaching each decision in isolation.
Divorce is one of the most significant areas of family law, but the legal dissolution of the marriage itself is often only one part of the process.
Spouses may also need to address the family home, financial accounts, retirement assets, debts, maintenance, and other property. When children are involved, parental responsibilities, parenting time, and support can become equally important.
Some divorces are resolved largely through negotiation and agreement. Others involve disagreements that require discovery, hearings, or ultimately a trial.
Illinois law also allows spouses to enter agreements resolving issues connected with the dissolution of their marriage. 750 ILCS 5/502 addresses agreements concerning matters including property, maintenance, support, and parental responsibilities.
Because divorce presents its own set of legal and practical concerns, prospective clients looking specifically for representation in a dissolution case can find more detailed information about our Naperville divorce representation.
Parents often have concerns that go well beyond who “wins custody.”
Illinois law uses the term allocation of parental responsibilities to address significant decision-making responsibilities involving children. Those decisions can concern education, health care, religion, and extracurricular activities.
Under 750 ILCS 5/602.5, courts allocate significant decision-making responsibilities according to the child’s best interests and consider multiple statutory factors when making that determination.
Parenting time is a related but separate issue. It addresses when the child is in each parent’s care. Illinois courts also allocate parenting time according to the child’s best interests under 750 ILCS 5/602.7.
For Naperville parents, practical considerations can become important when developing parenting arrangements. School schedules, extracurricular activities, parents’ work obligations, transportation, and the distance between households can all affect whether a proposed arrangement will work in everyday life.
Parents facing these questions can find more focused information about child custody matters in Naperville and our dedicated resource concerning allocation of parental responsibilities.
Separating parents also need to determine how their children’s financial needs will be addressed.
Illinois child support law uses an income-shares framework. Under 750 ILCS 5/505, the basic calculation considers both parents’ monthly net incomes, their respective shares of combined net income, and the applicable basic support obligation. The statute also contains provisions addressing situations such as shared physical care.
That means child support should not be estimated simply by applying a percentage to one parent’s salary.
Income, parenting arrangements, health care, child care, and other circumstances may need to be considered when determining the appropriate obligation.
Our Naperville child support attorneys page addresses this subject in greater detail.
For some spouses, the financial issues surrounding divorce are as concerning as the divorce itself.
Questions may include:
Illinois uses equitable distribution rather than automatically dividing marital property 50/50. The objective is an equitable division under Illinois law based on the circumstances and statutory factors.
These financial questions can become particularly important in marriages involving substantial assets, closely held businesses, complicated compensation, investments, or significant differences between the spouses’ incomes.
Rather than trying to duplicate those subjects here, Keller Legal Services provides more detailed resources concerning property division, business valuation in divorce, retirement accounts, and spousal maintenance.
Some clients need a family law attorney years after their original case was completed.
Life changes. A parent may change jobs. A child’s educational or scheduling needs may evolve. One parent may seek to relocate. An existing parenting arrangement may no longer function as intended.
Other post-judgment disputes arise because one party is not complying with an existing order.
The distinction matters. Modification asks the court to change an existing obligation or arrangement when the applicable legal requirements are satisfied. Enforcement seeks compliance with an order that is already in place.
For example, Illinois law permits certain child support modifications upon a showing of a substantial change in circumstances under 750 ILCS 5/510.
Clients dealing with an existing judgment can find additional information about enforcement and modification after divorce.
Hiring a family law attorney does not necessarily mean a case will end in a trial.
Negotiation may allow spouses or parents to resolve some or all of their disagreements while maintaining greater control over the terms of the resolution. Agreements can be particularly valuable when parents need arrangements they will realistically be able to follow for years.
Settlement, however, should not simply mean accepting unfavorable terms to avoid court.
Before agreeing to a proposed resolution, a client should understand what is being given up, what obligations will remain, and how the agreement may affect finances, property, children, and future options.
When meaningful disagreements cannot be resolved, court intervention may be necessary. Preparing carefully for that possibility can also place a client in a better position to evaluate settlement proposals along the way.
Keller Legal Services is based in Naperville and represents individuals and families throughout the surrounding area.
Naperville is primarily located in DuPage County, with a portion of the city extending into Will County. Where a particular family law proceeding should be filed depends on the nature of the case and the applicable Illinois venue requirements, rather than simply the name of the city on a mailing address.
For clients whose matters involve DuPage County, our DuPage County family law attorneys page provides additional information about our county-level representation.
Keller Legal Services also serves clients in Kane County, Will County, and surrounding Illinois communities.
Family disputes can create pressure to act quickly. Some situations do require immediate attention, but significant decisions should be made with an understanding of their potential consequences.
Before signing an agreement, leaving a residence, making a major financial change, or responding to a court filing, it can be helpful to understand where you stand legally.
If you are preparing to speak with a family law attorney, consider gathering:
The purpose of an initial consultation is not to arrive with your entire case already organized. It is to begin identifying the issues, available options, and appropriate next steps.
Not necessarily. The appropriate county and court depend on Illinois filing and venue requirements and the circumstances of the spouses. An attorney can review where you and your spouse live and determine where the proceeding should be filed.
Parents may reach an agreement concerning parental responsibilities and parenting time, subject to applicable Illinois requirements and court approval. When parents cannot reach an acceptable agreement, the court may need to decide the disputed issues.
The appropriate response depends on what the judgment requires and the nature of the noncompliance. Enforcement proceedings may be available when a party fails to follow an existing court order. This is different from seeking to modify an order because circumstances have changed.
Yes. Speaking with an attorney can help you understand issues involving property, children, support, and the divorce process before deciding how you want to proceed. Getting information does not obligate you to file a case.
Yes. Keller Legal Services offers free consultations to prospective clients who want to discuss a family law matter and better understand their possible next steps.
You do not have to wait until a disagreement becomes a courtroom dispute to understand your legal options. Whether you are considering divorce, responding to a filing, trying to establish a workable arrangement for your children, or dealing with a problem under an existing order, getting clear information can help you decide what to do next.
Keller Legal Services represents clients in Naperville and surrounding Illinois communities in divorce and other family law matters.
Call 630-505-1515 or contact Keller Legal Services to schedule a free consultation about your situation.
