Family Law Attorneys Practicing in Madison County, Illinois (Serving Maryville, Edwardsville, Alton and other surrounding areas.)
Family forms the foundation upon which lives are built. When that foundation is shaken, it can affect the entire family. A family attorney can help navigate you through this difficult time.
At Stange Law Firm, PC, we limit our practice to family law matters, which gives us the experience to resolve even the most complex, sophisticated and serious family law issues for our clients. From our office in Maryville at 25 Professional Park Drive Maryville, Illinois 62062, we serve clients throughout Madison County who are looking for quality family law representation.
You can also obtain more information about the Madison County Family Law by going to the following links:
- Madison County Divorce Forms: Madison County Circuit Clerk Divorce Forms.
- Directions to Madison County Courthouse: Google Map directions to the Madison County Courthouse.
- Madison County Local Court Rules: Madison County Circuit Court website.
- Madison County Forms: What the court can and cannot do in Madison County.
- Illinois Child Support Estimate: Click this link to view an estimate on how much your child support may be in Illinois.
To schedule a confidential initial consultation with our passionate, bold Maryville family law attorneys, call 618-307-7100 or contact our law firm online.
You can also get more information on our Illinois Divorce Law Blog.
From our webpage, you can also read articles about family law, view informational videos, seminar videos, listen to our podcast, download our mobile application or view support calculator for Illinois.
Handling the Full Range of Family Law Issues in Madison County, Illinois in Maryville (Serving Maryville & Edwardsville IL)
We represent clients in an array of family law matters, including:
- Maryville, IL Divorce Attorneys: Our attorneys are no strangers to representing client’s in their divorce matters.
- High Asset Divorce in Madison County: Protecting your assets during your divorce is very important. Stange Law Firm, PC offers attorneys that can help.
- Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements in Maryville, IL: Our Madison County attorneys can help you draft prenuptial and postnuptial agreements.
- Paternity in Madison County : The lawyers at our firm can represent you in your paternity matter.
- Maryville, IL Guardianships and conservatorships: Our lawyers can assist clients with their guardianship and conservatorship cass in Maryville, Illinois.
- Fertility and surrogacy in Madison County : Stange Law Firm, PC fertility and surrogacy attorneys in Maryville, Illinois.
- Maryville, IL Step-parent adoption: Adopting a step-child is an important time in an individuals life. Our attorneys can make it easier on you.
- Adoption in Madison County: Our attorney’s represent clients in their adoption cases in Maryville, Illinois.
- Madison County Minor emancipation: The lawyers at our firm are able to represent both teen’s and parent’s during a minor emancipation matter.
- Grandparents’ rights in Maryville, IL : We represent clients in grandparents’ rights.
- Appeals in Madison County : Our lawyers can assist in your family law appeal case.
- Maryville, IL Mediation and Collaborative Family Law : We have attorneys that can assist in your mediation and collaborative family law issues.
- Madison County Child Support Attorneys : Our attorneys are knowledgeable in child support matters in Maryville, IL.
- Child Custody in Madison County: The child custody lawyers in Madison County are able to assist.
- Juvenile Matters in Maryville, IL : Stange Law Firm, PC attorneys depressant clients in their juvenile cases.
- Madison County Modifications: The attorneys at our firm are able to represent clients in their Madison County modification cases.
- Contempt and family access motions in Maryville, IL : Our attorneys represent individuals in family access motions and contempt cases.
- Military Divorce in Madison County: The attorneys at our firm would be honored to represent you during your military divorce.
- Name Change in Maryville, IL: Our lawyers can help with your legal name change.
- Madison County Orders of Protection: The attorneys at our firm are experienced in helping domestic violence matters.
- Same Sex Divorce in Maryville, IL: We represent client’s in their same sex divorce in Madison County.
Our attorneys have received numerous awards and accolades for divorce and family law as set forth in their individual biographies. In fact, both founding partners at our law firm have been recognized as Super Lawyer Rising Stars for Family Law. Among other awards, Kirk Stange has also been recognized as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer by the National Trial Lawyers.
What is Family Law in Maryville, Illinois?
Family law refers to the practice of helping individuals with family relationships. It includes helping families pick up the pieces of their lives, while guiding them through this difficult time. Family law matters may include the dissolution of marriage, child custody and child support matters, adoption, paternity, and father’s rights issues. Because of the nature of these matters, family law cases tend to be very emotional and strenuous for the parties involved. At Stange Law Firm, PC, our attorneys are there to assists their clients through this difficult process. Family law practice may involve any of these following topics:
Divorce in Madison County (Serving residents in Edwardsvill and Maryville Illinois)
Divorce is the process of breaking the bonds of marriage. When parties get married, they form a legal relationship. If they decide that they would no longer like to be a part of this relationship, they must file the necessary paperwork with the courts.
Based on the state in which the divorce is being filed, the rules and procedures may vary. While all states allow for no-fault divorce, some states require a period of separation. Be advised that most states also have residency requirements that come into play when filing for dissolution.
Each state has their own guidelines for how to divide assets and debts in a divorce, but the rules are similar in most states. In most cases, the court looks to make an equitable division of the assets. This doesn’t necessarily mean dividing the assets are equal for both parties. The court can look at things like the parties’ contributions to the marriage, the length of the marriage and the needs of each party after the divorce. Misconduct such as infidelity or domestic abuse can also play into the court’s decision in terms of property and debt division and spousal maintenance.
Divorce is Civil Litigation in Maryville, Illinois
Divorce cases are heard in state court. Similar to other forms of civil litigation, parties may work to gather evidence through depositions, interrogatories and subpoenas. Parties may also participate in mediation sessions, the collaborative process and other forms of conflict resolution. In many scenarios, cases may settle prior to a trial. However, some cases that involve contested divorces, high-assets, and certain other factors may have to go to trial.
Maintenance and Spousal Support in Madison County
One of the most difficult issues in a divorce case is often maintenance and spousal support (previously referred to as alimony). Some states use a formula in order to determine the amount of support. This is now the case in Illinois. Even in cases where the court uses a formula, it’s still important to make sure that the court uses the proper procedures in order to arrive at the correct amount of support.
Pre and Post-nuptial Agreements in Maryville, Illinois
A prenuptial agreement is a contract that parties sign before they get married. Prenuptial agreements should contain detailed descriptions of the significant property and debts owned by each partner. Depending on the nature and complexity of these assets, a prenuptial agreement can be just a few pages – or a few hundred. At Stange Law Firm, we draft each prenuptial so that it meets the exact needs of our clients. There are some matters that can’t be included in a prenuptial agreement like child custody and child support agreements. Otherwise, the parties can create an agreement that outlines matters like separate property, distribution of the assets and spousal support in the event of a divorce. When the parties enter into this kind of agreement after they get married, it’s a postnuptial agreement.
Parenting time in Madison County (Serving Maryville and Edwardsville Illinois residents)
Parenting time is one of the most deliberated and emotional areas of family law. When it comes to custody of the child, most states base their decisions around the best interests of the child. The court takes into account which parent has the greater relationship with the child, whether or not each parent can provide a stable home environment for the child, and whether either parent has a history of substance abuse or a criminal background.
If a parenting plan can be established by the parents, the court will usually follow this agreement. However, if the parents cannot agree, the family lawyers at Stange Law Firm, PC will present evidence to the court regarding the child’s best interests. This might involve presenting school records, testimony of a psychologist or substance abuse counselor, criminal records and even medical records. Our attorneys will work to gather the necessary evidence, while also ensuring to consider the rules of evidence that are applicable in the particular local jurisdiction.
Allocation of Parental Responsibilities in Maryville, Illinois
Parental responsibilities involves who makes major decisions about the child. Parenting time can be shared between the parties, or the court may award more parenting time to one of the parents.
It is imperative that family lawyers understand how the courts determine custody related issues such as parenting time and allocation of parental responsibilities in their jurisdiction because rules between states can vary slightly. The family lawyers at Stange Law Firm, PC help their clients understand the law and form realistic expectations so that they can make wise decisions as their case moves forward.
Child Support in Madison County
Children have the right to support from both of their parents. The purpose of child support is to provide the child financial resources as if their parents lived under one roof, although it is common in most child support matters that the child’s parents live in separate households.
Each state has their own respective formula for calculating proper child support amounts. Most of these formulas factor in each parent’s income, the allowable tax deductions and other expenses, a child’s health insurance expenses, and whether they have child care needs. Certain states also factor in how much time each parent spends with the child, although this is not common practice by all states.
The family lawyers at Stange Law Firm, PC work with their clients to ensure the child support is fairly and accurately calculated. If the other parents attempts to hide income, or is unemployed by choice, an experienced family attorney can assist their client in showing the entire situation. A family lawyer also reviews the calculations made by the court to ensure that no errors were made that could result in an unfair and inaccurate calculation of child support.
Abuse and Neglect Proceedings
Another sensitive area of family law practice involves abuse and neglect. If the state is under the assumption that a parent is not able to properly care for a child, they may choose to begin abuse and neglect proceedings. The state may represent a parent that is accused of abuse or neglects, or they might even represent a child.
When family lawyers represent clients in abuse and neglect proceedings, they are working to help defend their client against the reports of abuse or neglect, or they are helping their clients regain custody of their children by assisting them in complying with services and other requirements. Because the standard for terminating parental rights is high, family lawyers work hard to advocate for their clients in a situation where the state is seeking to terminate those rights.
Contact a Family Law and Divorce Attorneys Practicing in Madison County/Maryville, Illinois for a Consultation (Serving Edwardsville, IL)
When you have a family law concern in the St. Louis Metro East in Illinois, contact us online or by phone to schedule a confidential consultation at any of our convenient locations, including
Madison County (Maryville), IL Office: 618-307-7100 Click to learn more about this location. 25 Professional Park Drive, Suite B, Maryville, Illinois 62062.
