Family Law

Family Law

Large firm experience and results. Small firm attention.

“The Latin root for divorce is 'divortere' meaning to divert. Divorce does not mean to sever, it just means to find a new path.”

Are you facing divorce?

Marital discord is difficult. Making the decision to end your marriage is a significant one. Not knowing what happens during and after a divorce can be confusing, depressing, and upsetting. You really need someone to turn to for advice in this process; someone whom you trust to guide you through the legal process and stand up for your rights. The decisions you make today will likely affect you and your family for the rest of your life. Picking the right family law lawyer is a big decision.

Choosing the right lawyer

An experienced, skilled and compassionate family law attorney can make a huge difference in how smoothly the process goes and what outcomes you get. For more than 33 years, the lawyers at Conti & Dolan have given clients intelligent, cost-effective divorce counsel in the Chicago area—Cook, Lake, DuPage and Will Counties. We offer smart solutions to reduce the time, expense and worry that accompany family law struggles.

In hiring a family law attorney, you need to look for two skill sets—the ability to negotiate compromise and settle and--if that fails--the experience and talent to litigate the case in a courtroom. The firm’s founder, Karen Conti is a seasoned litigator and trial lawyer, having tried hundreds of divorce matters of all kinds. She is also trained and certified as a collaborative lawyer and mediator, which enables her to creatively and compassionately negotiate resolutions with the least amount of cost, stress, and conflict to the entire family. For the most part, by the time couples seek a divorce, the fighting should be in the past. Divorce should be about putting together a legal plan so that the children are protected and the spouses can move on with their lives as quickly as possible.

Creative · Cost Effective · Results Driven

No two family law cases are alike. Our first priority is to obtain an in-depth understanding of your unique situation. We listen intently to your concerns, goals and priorities. We want to know what you want for your children and your plans for the future. We advise you of your options and how the system works. We give you straightforward answers to your questions and advice on likely outcomes.At that point, we come up with a game plan, a strategy—in writing—so you know where we are going and why. Many lawyers simply start filing court documents without a plan. This approach can quickly rack up unnecessary legal fees, draw out the process and generally aggravate everyone involved. The “all or nothing” approach is never the best strategy, especially when children are involved. There are usually some issues to which the parties agree. As to those that they don’t, we try to engage the judge in an informal settlement conference to obtain the judge’s views and recommendations. Many times, this helps settle cases without further litigation.

A man in a suit is sitting at a table with papers and a tablet.

Why Should You Choose Our Firm?

First, as of 2016, Illinois law regarding divorce and families has changed. The firm’s founder, Karen Conti was appointed by lawmakers in Springfield to serve on a blue-ribbon committee to rewrite the family law in Illinois. She is therefore on the cutting edge of the new law and how it is likely to be enforced.

Second, Karen’s reputation is exemplary. This is important. When a lawyer goes before a judge, she needs credibility. That means honesty, integrity, experience, and preparedness and tirelessly advocating for the client’s interests at all times. Karen has all of those qualities. As an influential leader in the legal community for more than 36 years, Karen has name recognition and the reputation for excellent work. As a former partner of the prestigious family law firm, Beermann LLP, she is equipped to handle every kind of family law case from the highest end financial net worth case to the most basic family law matter.

Third, you can trust the lawyers at Conti & Dolan. We care. We are compassionate. From the lawyers to the support staff, we treat your issues as if they were our own. We strive to make our relationships with clients long-term. That means that we look out for your best interests not only now but in the future—and that includes those of your children. We are in regular and consistent communication with our clients. Unlike many family law lawyers, we return calls promptly and accommodate our clients’ work and family commitments in scheduling appointments.

Family Law FAQs

Contribution to college expenses

Child support in Illinois terminates when a child turns 18 or graduates from high school, whichever is later to occur. It stops at 19 even if the child is still in high school. If your child is pursuing any kind of post-high school education, whether it is college, vocational, professional, or other training after graduation from high school, you can seek to have your partner or ex-partner contribute to the related expenses on behalf of the child.

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Parental alienation

Parental alienation is undue influence exerted by one parent on a child that causes the child to fear or despise the other parent. Although not officially listed in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual, some experts have suggested that parental alienation can cause an actual psychological disorder called Parental Alienation Syndrome.

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Grandparent’s rights

Illinois law no longer uses the term “custody” to refer to children. It is now called “parenting time.” The courts strongly favor having children raised by their biological parents. So, if one parent is incapable of raising a child, the default is for the other parent to raise that child. Only if both parents are incapable of raising a child will a family member succeed in having residential parenting and decision-making rights as to the child.

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What should you do now?

You should know that you are going to be fine. We understand that change is difficult--and if you are getting divorced, many things in your life will change. But, when it comes to any change, there is good that will come from it. You will move forward and have a new life that will be bright and fulfilling. We mean it.And we are fully prepared to help you get there.

Call or email us to discuss your options and to determine whether our firm is suited to help you.