CHICAGO FAMILY LAWYERS  |   (312) 332 2919

FAMILY LAW

The law firm of Wayne & Jemilo is dedicated to offering its clients the highest-quality Family Law legal services and counsel. We advise and litigate on a wide range of family law matters, including:

• Divorce / Marriage Dissolution Matters
• Paternity & Single Parent Rights
• Prenuptial & Postnuptial Agreements
• Domestic Partnership Agreements
• Civil Unions
• Adoptions

DIVORCE & MARRIAGE DISSOLUTION

Our attorneys offer experienced, expert representation in all matters pertaining to divorce and post-dissolution modifications, including:

• Marriage Dissolution / Divorce
• Sophisticated financial litigation, including matters involving the valuation of business interests of physicians, attorneys, real estate developers, financial fund managers, and all types of business owners
• Custody, Visitation, and Removal of Children to Another State
• Child Support & Maintenance Issues
• Post-dissolution modification of child support, maintenance, visitation and custody
• Domestic Abuse Issues & Orders of Protection

While litigation is often necessary if an agreement cannot be reached, the attorneys at Wayne & Jemilo strongly support the mediation process and will work with mediators to bring your agreement to a final resolution. If an agreement is not possible, we will represent your interests in trial preparation and at trial in a bold and creative manner.

• Read more information on working with Wayne & Jemilo through your divorce.
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• What to Bring to Your First Appointment

Single Parents

The desire to bring up a child—and the rights associated with parenting—are not limited to married couples. Our attorneys can help you with the legal issues specific to single parenting, including adoption, custody, visitation, paternity, guardianship and support agreements between unmarried parents.

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Pre- & Post Nuptial Agreements

With many couples marrying later in life or marrying multiple times, there are often personal assets, businesses and finances that either or both individuals bring to the new union. Our attorneys can help couples craft sensitive yet effective pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements that protect financial assets, sole proprietorships, professional practices and retirement funds.

Prenuptial agreements do not mean that a couple is anticipating divorce. Oftentimes, they are used to protect the financial welfare of children from previous relationships, to preserve family inheritances, and often, much like a will, to spell out the division of assets to specific family members in the case of death.

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Domestic Partnership Agreements

Illinois recognizes Domestic Partnership Agreements as legal documents that give similar rights to those of married spouses to partners who are involved in long-term, committed relationships and do not wish to marry or are same-sex couples. In addition to protecting pre-existing assets and outlining division of assets, much like a prenuptial agreement, a Domestic Partnership ensures that the group health insurance benefits available to one member of the couple are also available to the other, as coverage would extend to a married couple. Importantly, a partnership agreement also establishes powers of attorney and rights similar to that of marriage in the case of illness or death. A domestic partner can talk to medical staff about his or her partner's condition, be included in family-only hospital situations and have voice in end-of-life decisions. Our attorneys can help you and your partner establish a legally binding Domestic Partnership agreement.

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Civil Unions

In December 2010, Illinois passed a bill, signed into law, that recognizes Civil Unions between same-sex couples. Effective July 2011, Illinois Civil Unions will legally recognize same-sex couples and give them some of the same benefits automatically available to married couples, including the right to visit a sick partner in the hospital, disposition of a deceased loved one's remains and the right to make decisions about medical care.

Known as the Illinois Religious Freedom and Civil Union Act, the legal recognition will be available to any couple, same-sex or opposite-sex, in a committed relationship who are: 18 years of age or older, not in an existing marriage or civil union, and are not related.

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Adoptions

A successful end to the adoption process is the most joyful event that any family law attorney can experience.

At Wayne & Jemilo, we have more than 30 years of experience helping families experience the wonders and joys of parenthood through a successful adoption.

With the right preparation and guidance—and in a caring, professional manner—we help individuals and families adopt the children and infants they want so much and establish a secure, loving family for the babies and children who need them so desperately. Serving the Chicago, Illinois, area, we help local and interstate residents handle the adoption process, including:

• Private placement or agency-related adoptions
• Local or interstate adoptions
• Related or step-parent adoptions
• Surrogacy
• Open or closed adoptions
• Single-parent adoptions
• Adoptions to same-sex couples

We handle each adoption with the utmost discretion, respect, and confidentiality.

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