Cook County Fathers' Rights Attorney

Lawyers Assisting With Child Custody Disputes in Oak Park and Chicago

If you are a father who is concerned about your right to spend time and have a relationship with your child, you may need to consider pursuing a legal option to ensure these rights.

With more than 95 years of combined legal experience, the lawyers at Wakenight & Associates, P.C. can provide you with the representation you need to resolve your parenting and custody issues. We understand the importance of parent/child relationships, and we will work to help you reach an outcome that will protect your parental rights and your financial interests.

Protecting Fathers' Rights

Over the past several decades, the roles that parents play in raising children have shifted significantly. While mothers may have once been primarily responsible for caring for children, and fathers were focused on working and meeting a family's financial needs, this type of arrangement is becoming less and less common. In the majority of modern families, both parents share equally in earning income to support the family, participating in childcare, and handling household responsibilities.

In Illinois, the law recognizes that both parents have equal rights when it comes to decisions made during divorce, and neither mothers or fathers should be favored when making decisions about child custody. In fact, the law states that parents are presumed to be fit and are entitled to reasonable parenting time with their children, unless there is reason to believe that children are in danger of physical or emotional harm when in the care of a parent. When making decisions about children during divorce, judges will consider parents' history of making decisions for children and participating in caretaking activities, ensuring that divorced parents will continue to be as involved in their children's lives as they were while married.

Fathers should also understand their rights regarding financial support following divorce. In matters related to child support, both parents are obligated to provide support for their children, and support obligations are based on parents' combined income and each parent's percentage of that total. The non-custodial parent, which may be either the mother or father, will typically pay their share of the child support obligation to the other parent, although parents' obligations may differ if they have near-equal amounts of parenting time.

Depending on the income earned by each spouse, spousal maintenance (alimony) may be awarded to ensure that both parties are able to maintain the standard of living they had while married. The award of maintenance is not based on spouses' gender; a father who earns less than a mother may be able to receive financial support from their former partner.

Contact a Maybrook Parental Rights Lawyer

At Wakenight & Associates, P.C., we know the importance of the relationships between fathers and their children, and we are dedicated to protecting fathers' rights. If you are worried about your parental rights during a high conflict divorce, we will help you address these concerns and advocate for your children's best interests throughout the divorce process. We will work to ensure that the outcome of your divorce will meet your family's needs.

To set up a free consultation with our attorneys, contact our office at 708-480-9651. From our offices in Oak Park, we represent fathers in divorce cases in Chicago, Skokie, Riverside, Elmwood Park, River Forest, Cicero, Maybrook, Berwyn, Forest Park, and throughout Cook County.