Will County Divorce and Family Lawyer

If you or your spouse lives in Will County, your divorce may be filed there, and the court's Domestic Relations Division also hears parentage cases. Chicago Family Attorneys LLC represents clients in Will County family cases, including divorce, the allocation of parental responsibilities and parenting time, child support, maintenance, property division, 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 in Will County. Consultations are by phone; a free weekend consultation is available by Zoom. Some hearings may be held in person at the courthouse and others remotely, as the court directs.

The firm handles the same family law matters in Chicago and Cook, DuPage and Lake Counties. 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.

Under 750 ILCS 5/104, a divorce is heard in the county where the petitioner or the respondent resides. Venue is not jurisdictional, and an objection to venue is barred if it is not made by the time the respondent's response is due. If neither spouse lives in the county where the case is filed, the petitioner must file a written motion with the petition that is heard before any other issue.

Under 750 ILCS 5/401(a), when the case begins, one spouse must be an Illinois resident or be stationed in Illinois as a member of the armed services. That residence or presence must have lasted for the 90 days before the case began or before the court's finding.

If one spouse lives in Will County and the other lives in Cook or DuPage County, more than one county can be a proper venue. Discuss the choice before filing. See also the firm's Cook County divorce and DuPage County divorce and family law pages.

Courtroom assignments are set by the circuit's assignment orders and can change, so check your summons or order for your courtroom. This address is the courthouse, not the firm's office, which is in Chicago.

The Circuit Clerk describes domestic relations proceedings as including dissolution of marriage, legal separation and custody matters, and family cases as including parentage, visitation and support matters.

Illinois Supreme Court Rule 9 requires documents in civil cases, which include divorce and family cases, to be filed electronically through an approved system unless an exception or exemption applies. The Will County Circuit Clerk states that all civil cases must be e-filed, and that juvenile cases are the only case types that cannot be e-filed in Will County. Self-represented litigants who qualify for a good-cause exemption under Rule 9 file a Certification for Exemption From E-filing.

Under Will County Local Rule 8.02, the Clerk schedules a case management conference within 90 days after the initial petition is filed. In cases with minor children, the court addresses completion of the parenting education class, the status of an allocation judgment for parental responsibilities under 750 ILCS 5/602.10(a), and the appointment of a mediator or any other professional the court considers necessary.

A divorce starts with a verified petition that must be served on the other spouse. Read what a petition for dissolution of marriage says and how divorce papers are served in Illinois.

Remote appearances in Will County follow Illinois Supreme Court Rule 45 and the circuit's Administrative Order 23-10. That order lists family court proceedings that must be in person: evidentiary hearings, settlement conferences, bench trials, recall of a warrant (unless the person is represented by an attorney) and all contempt of court proceedings. A person may appear remotely in those proceedings only with the court's approval.

The court publishes Zoom room information for its courtrooms on a lookup page linked from the court's website, and the Circuit Clerk posts rules to follow for virtual family court appearances. Your order and the judge's instructions control how you appear on a given date. Read how to prepare for a Zoom court hearing.

Under Will County Local Rule 8.05, the Chief Judge designates the approved parenting education program under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 924. Except when excused by the court for good cause, the parties must attend and complete the approved program no later than 60 days after the initial case management conference, and the court may sanction a party who willfully fails to complete it.

Under Local Rule 8.14, the court must order mediation to help parents formulate a parenting plan unless it finds that impediments to mediation exist, as 750 ILCS 5/602.10(c) provides. The court may waive mandatory mediation if impediments exist or if the parents already tried private mediation on the same issue without success. The circuit keeps a list of approved mediators who may be appointed for court-ordered mediation.

Statewide, section 602.10(a) requires each parent to file a proposed parenting plan within 120 days after service or filing of a petition for allocation of parental responsibilities. Read allocation of parental responsibilities in Illinois and is mediation mandatory in an Illinois divorce.

Illinois uses one statewide financial affidavit under 750 ILCS 5/501(a)(1), supported by documents such as income tax returns, pay stubs and bank statements. Under Will County Local Rule 8.04, on either party's request or on the court's own motion, the parties may be ordered to complete and exchange Financial Affidavits by a date set by the court or agreed by the parties. The statewide form must be used, and a party who fails to provide it is subject to sanctions.

Read how to fill out an Illinois financial affidavit and how a motion for temporary relief works.

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 representation for a defined task: drafting from $500; one hearing appearance from $1,200.
• Attorney-handled uncontested divorce: $1,500 flat fee (court filing fees not included).
• Self Represented Documents: $399.
• 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.

Bring the information you have so the consultation can focus on your concerns. This is a discussion list, not a statement of everything the court requires.

• Any filed petition, summons, court orders and notices, including the case number and the date of any case management conference.
• Marriage details and each spouse's county of residence.
• Children's names, ages and current parenting arrangements.
• Recent tax returns, pay stubs and bank statements.
• Information about property, debts and any written agreements.
• Questions about disputed issues, representation scope and fees.

The initial consultation is free for people seeking to hire an attorney. Consultations are by phone; a free weekend consultation is available by Zoom. Call 312-965-5618 to discuss a Will County family case with Chicago Family Attorneys LLC.

• 12th Judicial Circuit Court of Will County
• Will County Circuit Clerk
• Circuit Clerk: dissolution and family cases
• Circuit Clerk: e-filing
• 12th Judicial Circuit local court rules (Part 8.00, Domestic Relations Division)
• Administrative Order 23-10: remote video appearances
• Will County Law Library
• 750 ILCS 5/104: Venue
• 750 ILCS 5/401: Dissolution requirements
• 750 ILCS 5/501: Temporary relief and financial affidavits
• 750 ILCS 5/602.10: Parenting plans and mediation
• Illinois Supreme Court Rule 9: Electronic filing
• Illinois Supreme Court Rule 45: Remote appearances

Bring your questions and the documents you have. The initial consultation is free for people seeking to hire an attorney, and the firm confirms its fee and the covered work in writing before you engage it. Call 312-965-5618 or book online.