Why Use a Divorce Attorney for Men in the Chicago Area?
By: Gordon & Perlut, LLC
If you are anticipating a divorce in the Chicago area, you are likely wondering how a divorce attorney can assist with your case and whether you should seek out a divorce attorney for men in Chicago. While an experienced Chicago area divorce attorney can provide legal assistance to men and women alike in divorce cases governed by the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (IMDMA), it is often beneficial for men who are going through a divorce to have a dedicated lawyer who routinely serves men in divorce proceedings. We want to tell you some of the reasons why a divorce lawyer for men in the Chicago area can help with your case.
Advocating for Fathers’ Rights in Child Custody Disputes
If you have minor children from your marriage, your divorce will include child custody, which is now known as an allocation of parental responsibilities under Illinois law. Parental responsibilities include both significant decision-making responsibilities (what you might have known previously as legal custody), and parenting time (what you might have known previously as visitation). Your divorce attorney for men can advocate for your right to parental responsibilities and can show that your ability to make significant decisions about your child’s upbringing and to spend a substantial amount of time providing caretaking functions to your child is in the child’s best interests.
Considering Gender Biases in Child Custody Cases
Many fathers have concerns about gender bias in child custody cases. Specifically, fathers who are going through a divorce involving minor children from the marriage worry that the court will assume it is better for the child, or in the child’s best interest, to spend more time with the mother. While courts in Illinois and across the country have been combating these harmful stereotyping and biased assumptions, fathers who are getting divorced can nonetheless benefit from having an experienced attorney who knows about the specific kinds of biases that men can face in child custody cases.
Addressing Gender Biases in Spousal Maintenance
Beyond issues that men can face concerning bias in child custody cases and matters concerning the family, many men who are planning for a divorce also have concerns about how gender biases could affect spousal maintenance awards. For instance, men in the Chicago area often worry that, since they were the primary earners during their marriage, that their soon-to-be ex-wife will be awarded a high amount of alimony or spousal maintenance due to gender bias and assumptions about who pays for what after a divorce. Our divorce lawyers for men can help to alleviate your concerns and to help you understand how spousal maintenance is determined and awarded in Chicago area divorces.
Contact a Chicago Divorce Lawyer for Men
If you are anticipating a divorce case soon, or if your spouse has already filed for divorce and you have been served with divorce papers, one of the dedicated Chicago divorce attorneys for men at Gordon & Perlut, LLC can assist you with your case. The advocates at our firm have years of experience representing men in divorce and child custody cases in Cook County, Lake County, and Du Page County. Contact Gordon & Perlut, LLC today for more information.