Illinois Family Law

Most people who call our office have never hired a lawyer before. They are not sure what a consultation involves, whether they need to have made any decisions yet, or what happens if they say the wrong thing. So here is exactly what to expect, what to bring, and how to get the most out of the meeting. You do not need to have decided anything A consultation is not a commitment to file for divorce, and it is not a commitment to hire us. It is information gathering. Plenty of pe

Is a trust marital property in an Illinois divorce? How courts classify trust interests, and what spouses need to know about tracing and distributions.

What a prenup in Illinois can cover, what makes one enforceable, when to start, what it costs, and the document checklist we give our own clients.

If you have a parenting order in Illinois and want to move with your child, 750 ILCS 5/609.2 controls. Here is what counts as relocation, what notice you must give, and what the judge is actually deciding.

If you and your spouse have agreed on everything, in writing, the last step in a Cook County divorce is the prove-up. Traditionally that meant a short court appearance, usually on Zoom now, where one or both of you answered a few questions under oath and the judge entered the judgment. In many Cook County courtrooms, that appearance is no longer necessary. If both spouses have attorneys, the case can be proved up on paper. This post explains how prove-up by affidavit works in

Why no lawyer can give you a number on the first call, what you are actually paying for, and where the money goes in the expensive cases.

The Illinois Financial Affidavit decides most of the money issues in a divorce. What it is, the mistakes people make on it, and how to get it right.

What happens after your consultation with LaRocque Law, step by step: the engagement agreement, the retainer, the intake questionnaire, gathering documents, the strategy meeting, and what to do (and not do) in the meantime.

Illinois dropped the newspaper publication rule for adult name changes and cut the residency requirement to three months. Here is how it works now, and the free shortcut if you are in the middle of a divorce.

Less scandal, more spreadsheet. Why prenups went mainstream, and why deciding your own terms beats taking the state's.

You bought the condo together during your engagement, so it must be marital property, right? Not necessarily. In Illinois, the date on the deed matters more than the date of the engagement, and how the property was titled, paid for, and treated after the marriage can decide who walks away with what.

How to get an order of protection in Cook County: who qualifies, how to file, the emergency hearing, and what comes next.

Illinois just lowered the shared-parenting threshold from 146 overnights to 110 and replaced the all-or-nothing cliff with graduated adjustments. The new law also counts daytime parenting, changes the rules for low-income and incarcerated parents, and requires annual income disclosure. Here's what changes January 1, 2027 — and why existing orders don't update automatically.

Most school-year parenting problems are visible in July — they just don't get handled until they're urgent. Here's what Illinois co-parents should review before the first day of school: whether the parenting plan matches reality, exchange logistics, school records access, extracurricular decisions and costs, and when it's time to modify the order instead of fighting it all year.

Is Illinois a no-fault state? How is child support calculated? Who gets the house? Straight answers to the questions we hear most.

If your co-parent took your child out of Illinois, the first response matters. Here is what to do, what not to do, and when emergency court relief may be necessary.

Illinois courts generally encourage meaningful parenting time with both parents. But when a parent’s conduct places a child’s physical, emotional, or mental well-being at risk, the court may impose restrictions. This article explains when parenting time restrictions may apply under Illinois law and what factors judges consider.

Learn how Illinois divorce cases move efficiently when strategy, preparation, and realistic expectations are established early.

Fighting over everything is the most expensive way to divorce. How emotion drives up legal fees in Illinois and what a smarter approach looks like.

Yes — Illinois judges can and do reject agreed divorce judgments. Learn the 5 most common reasons uncontested divorces get sent back, and how to avoid them.