North Shore Divorce and Family Lawyer

If you or your spouse lives in Evanston, Skokie, Wilmette, Winnetka, Glenview, Northbrook or another North Shore town in Cook County, your divorce may be filed in Cook County. Chicago Family Attorneys LLC represents clients in these cases, including divorce, the allocation of parental responsibilities and parenting time, child support, maintenance, property division, orders of protection connected to a divorce, and enforcement or modification of existing orders.

The firm's office is in Chicago, at 53 W Jackson Blvd, Suite 752. It does not have an office on the North Shore. Consultations are by phone; a free weekend consultation is available by Zoom. Some court dates may be held in person at the courthouse and others by Zoom, as the court directs.

You can choose full representation or limited scope help with a defined task, and the written agreement identifies the covered work. No lawyer can promise a particular result, and outcomes depend on the facts. The firm's divorce services and process are explained on the Chicago divorce lawyer page.

A North Shore divorce filed in Cook County is heard at the Richard J. Daley Center in Chicago, the main location of the court's Domestic Relations Division, or at the Skokie Courthouse, one of the division's five suburban locations.

Cook County towns in the Second Municipal District

The Circuit Court of Cook County lists these municipalities in its Second Municipal District, which sits in Skokie: Deerfield (the Cook County part only), Des Plaines, Evanston, Glencoe, Glenview, Golf, Kenilworth, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northbrook, Northfield, Park Ridge, Skokie, Wilmette and Winnetka. The court lists divorce proceedings, paternity and child support, and divorce-related orders of protection among the domestic relations cases heard in that district.

Living in one of these towns does not by itself decide where your case is heard. Your summons and court notices show the assigned courthouse and courtroom, and the Clerk of the Circuit Court can confirm it.

Towns outside Cook County

Under 750 ILCS 5/104, a divorce is heard in the county where the petitioner or the respondent lives. The court's Second Municipal District list does not include Highland Park, Highwood, Lake Bluff or Lake Forest. If one spouse lives in Cook County and the other lives in another county, either county can be a proper venue, so discuss the choice before filing. For Lake County cases, see the firm's Lake County divorce and family law page.

Residence in Illinois is a separate question. Under 750 ILCS 5/401(a), one spouse must have lived in Illinois, or been stationed here in the armed services, for 90 days before the case began or before the court's finding.

This address is the courthouse, not the firm's office, which is in Chicago. Courtroom assignments change, so use the courtroom shown on your summons or order.

Remote appearances

The court posts Zoom information for each municipal district, including the Second Municipal District in Skokie. For your Zoom ID and passcode, the court's Remote Court Proceedings page directs you to the Clerk's Office. The court prohibits recording Zoom court proceedings; its Remote Court Proceedings page points to General Administrative Order 2023-03 for details. The firm's Second District Zoom information for Skokie collects those entries, and how to prepare for a Zoom court hearing explains what to set up beforehand.

The firm handles these family law matters for North Shore clients, as it does across Cook County:

• Divorce representation, from the petition through judgment, and uncontested divorce when spouses agree.
• Allocation of parental responsibilities and parenting time, including parenting plans and later changes.
• Child support: setting, modifying and enforcing support.
• Spousal maintenance; the firm's Illinois maintenance calculator gives an estimate from your own figures.
• Divorces with business interests, retirement plans or equity compensation.
• Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements.
• Orders of protection, including petitions filed with a pending divorce.

If your situation involves more than one of these issues, the consultation can sort out which one comes first.

These are the firm's published fees. The ranges shown are not a quote for your matter.

• Full representation: an initial payment of $1,500 to $2,500, then $500 to $650 per month beginning 30 days after the initial payment while representation remains active. It covers drafting, hearings, motions and phone calls within the agreed scope.
• Limited scope help: drafting from $500; one hearing appearance from $1,200.
• Uncontested divorce: $1,500 flat (court filing fees not included).
• Self Represented Documents: $399. The fee includes covered document preparation, attorney document review and one sixty-minute advice call; you handle filing, service and court dates.
• Court order enforcement: an individually quoted upfront amount plus $350 per hour.

Court filing costs, service costs, evaluation costs and the fees of outside professionals are separate. The client pays them and the firm does not advance them. The written agreement confirms the fee, the covered work and the expenses before you engage the firm. See the family law pricing overview.

Consultations are by phone; a free weekend consultation is available by Zoom. The firm represents North Shore clients from its Chicago office. To make the call useful, have ready:

• any filed petition, summons, court orders and hearing notices, including the case number and courtroom;
• each spouse's town and county of residence;
• the children's ages and the current parenting schedule;
• recent tax returns, pay stubs and bank statements;
• information about property, debts and any written agreements; and
• your questions about disputed issues, representation scope and fees.

Call 312-965-5618 or book a consultation online.

• Second Municipal District, Skokie
• Skokie Courthouse
• Domestic Relations Division
• Remote Court Proceedings
• 750 ILCS 5/104: Venue
• 750 ILCS 5/401: Dissolution of marriage

Bring your questions and the documents you have about your North Shore case. The firm confirms its fee and the covered work in writing before you engage it. Call 312-965-5618 or book online.