Collaborative Divorce with VF Law
As a divorce and collaborative divorce firm in downtown Saint Charles, IL, VF Law goes above and beyond to maintain an honest and respectable environment for all parties involved. VF Law offers professional attorney services as we strive to provide compassion and reliability when it comes to communication and response with our clients.
The ultimate goal of VF Law is to assist those in the Chicagoland area with the decision to end their marriage—and to do it smoothly and quietly without any repercussions on the family as a whole. VF Law accepts all divorce matters and situations, including issues relating to paternity and child support, and we believe in advocating for grandparent visitation rights when the situation calls for it.
Our team of lawyers are trained in Collaborative Divorce and Divorce Mediation and is a practicing divorce and collaborative divorce attorney at VF Law. During your initial consultation with VF Law, we will help you decide which of the three options is the best fit for you: Divorce Litigation, Collaborative Divorce or Divorce Mediation. The divorce process doesn’t have to be difficult when you choose VF Law.
How does a collaborative divorce work?
Unlike a traditional divorce, a collaborative divorce is a process that involves both spouses and their attorneys discussing and negotiating settlements without going to court. Both spouses are to be open and honest about their shared and individual values in order to come to an agreement about what works best for both parties and what makes most sense for the situation as a whole.
These discussions occur in order to avoid court hearings, adversarial bargaining and court-imposed solutions which can ultimately be a lot messier and lead to both spouses feeling unsatisfied with the settlements decided in court. When it comes to contested issues in the collaborative divorce process, there is no financial incentive for the lawyer—and they even must withdraw from the client’s case. That said, there is more reason than not to choose the collaborative divorce process rather than the traditional divorce process which might end up costing you more money to go to court.
Practicing Collaborative Divorce Attorney at VF Law
Meeting with and getting to know your collaborative divorce attorney means moving one step closer toward getting what you want and what you need from the divorce alongside your spouse without making a mess. As a practicing lawyer at VF Law in Saint Charles, IL, the VF legal team prides themselves in identifying as one who can help you accomplish your goals and make the divorce process easier for you and your spouse.
We are fully trained in Collaborative Divorce and Divorce Mediation and is constantly retaining more knowledge of the law with every case. We are prepared to collaborate with you, your spouse and their attorney to work toward settling your case gracefully. Rather than working against your spouse and their attorney, we will help you work through conflict, discuss emotions and fears and come to an understanding that benefits both parties in the end—and ultimately doesn’t destroy the family or disrupt the lives of any children involved.
Child Custody & Visitation Rights
The most complicated aspect of any divorce is often settling child custody and visitation rights. Here at VF Law in Saint Charles, IL, we are determined to assist every client, including non-custodial parents or guardians, through the collaborative divorce process to ultimately figure all of these issues out side-by-side and without going to court.
VF Law is committed to meeting the needs of you and your family, including navigating custody and child visitation laws to ensure you always have the right to spend time with your children. Illinois divorce law eliminated the term visitation in Jan. 1, 2016, which means “visitation” only applies to grandparents and third parties now. That said, as a parent involved in a divorce case, you have rights when it comes to being involved in your children’s lives.
2016 Illinois divorce law allows the court to decide how parenting time will be allocated—and takes into consideration where the best interest of the children lie. Once the parenting time has been allocated by the court, it is not up to either spouse to determine parenting time or visitation rights of the other—or to deny visits or withhold child support. We will prioritize the welfare of your children, above all, when navigating with child custody and visitation rights in your case.
Grandparents’ Visitation Rights
Grandparent visitation in Illinois is limited for every divorce case across the country, but Illinois law recognizes the rights of grandparents after a divorce. In Illinois, most grandparents have a legal right to petition the court for visitation with their grandchildren—but only under certain circumstances and when showing the court that the parents decision to deny visitation is harmful toward the children in some way, such as their needing more support following the death of a parent.
Here at VF Law, we understand that the grandparent-grandchild bond can become every bit as strong as—and feel every bit as important as—the bond between a parent and child. We believe it is important that each child is able to continue to spend time with grandparents who love them and who are looking to play a crucial role in their lives and growth.
VF Law of Geneva, IL, promises to advocate for your rights as a grandparent to the greatest extent permitted by law and to seek judicial intervention to ensure a lasting connection with your grandchildren.