Many of our family law cases necessarily involve the appointment by the Court of a GAL or Child’s Representative. Sometimes, there is some question or confusion about the role of the GAL vs. that of the Child’s Rep. In Illinois family law, under the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage…
The custody evaluator is a neutral, court-appointed professional (often a licensed psychologist) tasked with conducting an independent clinical evaluation to provide the court with objective information regarding the child(ren)’s best interests. Their role is to assess the family system dynamics, parenting abilities, and the child’s needs to make recommendations about:…
Many of our clients have initial questions about how the major decisions for the minor children will be made after the divorce is completed. While joint decision making is conceptually ideal, in many cases requiring the parties to make major decisions together can create disagreements, leading to further litigation. In…
A parent seeking resources about divorce and searching for the right lawyer, is involved in a process that is stressful. It’s important to appreciate that an experienced Family Lawyer (such as our firm) along with other resources can make the process manageable and not unduly stressful for the parents or…
While our firm has strong financial expertise, Michael Roe has always had a strong focus on child custody issues, including complex child custody litigation. In Illinois law, the term “child custody” has been replaced by “allocation of parental responsibilities” and “parenting time” since January 1, 2016, under the Illinois Marriage…
Why are the privacy interests of children important in family law cases? A case cited below kind of highlights the need for courts to have the ability to receive information (perhaps from a GAL) in the privacy of chambers with the attorneys (in Illinois, called a “pretrial conference). The reason…
Years ago, I helped write and edit elements of Bill Eddy’s landmark book Splitting that offered readers, for the first time, guidance and understanding of personality disorders in the context of a high conflict divorce. Today, Bill continues to educate and help other navigate the difficulties of parenting and divorcing with…
In Illinois, child custody (now called allocations of parenting time and decision making) can be modified through the courts if there is a substantial change in circumstances that warrants a modification. In general, the modification will be sought after two years has expired from the original judgment, but some cases…
For parents anticipating a divorce and child custody (allocation) issues, it’s always useful to go over some checklists, both financial and child-related, to ensure that the needs of the parties and families are met as best as is possible during the pendency of the case. Once a divorce or separation…
Most of the cases that we manage at Law Offices of Michael F Roe are complex cases, sometimes involving serious issues with child custody, and often a HCP (High Conflict Personality/Parent). Within these divorce or parentage cases the courts in Illinois follow a pattern of addressing the issues of the…