Custody Without Marriage
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Custody Without Marriage
Custody Attorney for Unmarried Parents in Illinois
Helping Clients Pursue Custody Rights
Understanding the legalities around parental rights and responsibilities can feel overwhelming, especially for unmarried parents. In Illinois, the law provides a clear path for establishing custody, parenting time, and support, but it begins with one crucial step: legally establishing parentage. Without this legal foundation, a parent has no enforceable rights to parental decision-making authority or parenting time. At Reifman Law Offices, we are dedicated to providing compassionate guidance to those facing concerns about parentage and custody without marriage, helping you understand your rights and secure a stable future for your child.
The First Step: Establishing Legal Parentage
For married couples, the law automatically presumes the husband to be the legal father of a child born during the marriage, and both parents retain custodial rights. For unmarried parents, this is not the case. The legal relationship between a father and his child must be formally established before any custody or support matters can be addressed.
Parentage can be established in Illinois in several ways, including a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity signed by both parents, an administrative order signed by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, or a judicial order of paternity. Once parentage is established, both parents will have the same rights and responsibilities as if they were married. This opens the door to creating a formal, court-ordered parenting plan.
Pursuing Custody and Parenting Time as an Unmarried Parent
After establishing parentage, either parent can then petition the court for the allocation of parental responsibilities, which will include both decision-making authority and parenting time. The court’s primary focus in these determinations is always the best interests of the child.
It is a common misconception that mothers are automatically favored in custody decisions. Illinois law is gender-neutral and focuses solely on determining the arrangement that will best support the child’s well-being. A father who has legally established parentage has equal rights as the mother to seek parental decision-making authority and significant parenting time.
Legal Challenges for Unmarried Parents
For unmarried parents, the process of securing parental rights can be challenging. You may face challenges related to proving parentage, negotiating a fair parenting plan, or enforcing your rights if the other parent is uncooperative. An experienced family law attorney can help provide the legal clarity and support needed to navigate these issues effectively. We can help you understand your options, protect your parental rights, and create legally sound arrangements that prioritize your child’s happiness and stability.
Contact a Compassionate Schaumburg Custody Attorney
If you are an unmarried parent seeking to establish your custody rights, you do not have to face this journey alone. Our attorney at Reifman Law Offices is dedicated to helping families find resolutions that protect their children and honor their parental rights. Contact us today or call 847-229-8433 for the guidance and empathetic support you need to move forward with confidence. We serve clients in Schaumburg, Arlington Heights, Rolling Meadows, West Dundee, Barrington, Palatine, Hoffman Estates, Streamwood, and the surrounding communities.
At Reifman Law Offices,
we will take the weight of dealing with family legal issues off of your shoulders.
Call Us 847-229-8433
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Cost is a significant factor when considering hiring a lawyer. At Reifman Law Offices, we understand that our clients are real people—people on a budget with limited time.
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What Our Clients say about us
Working with this law office made an uncontested divorce as simple and painless as it possibly could be. Attorney Reifman was thorough, prompt, courteous, and supportive throughout the entire proceeding. I would not hesitate to recommend them if someone I...
Arkady Reifman was very professional and supportive. He explained everything clearly and made the process smooth and stress-free. Highly recommend!
Arkady was a calm, compassionate and an effective guide through a very difficult process. I'm so grateful for his professionalism and support.
Keep in mind that every divorce is different and has different complexities to it. Ours was extremely basic and I'd say start to finish, was completed in less than 90 days. Everything was sorted out rather quickly, communication was always...
Arkady was very supportive and easy to work with, he is very professional and knowledgeable. I would recommend.
Professional, communication was excellent, and super fast and easy. Highly recommend!
Not all lawyers are created equal. That being said, most lawyers I personally encountered only cared about dragging things out and making themselves richer at the expense of the people that they were representing. Mr. Arkady Reifman shines above the...
Arkady helped me from day 1 he was great from helping ease my peace of mind during all the high conflict negotiations with my EX. My case took FAR to long for what it should have been but not because...
Arkady took over in the middle of my divorce. Found him by chance, but couldn't be happier. He is very reasonable in prices, follows up promptly, but most of all he was understanding for every issue I wanted to bring...
I’m very thankful to Arkady for his assistance with my divorce! He is very knowledgeable and was always prompt with responses. I would recommend him to anyone who needs family attorney help!
Arkady Reifman is an excellent divorce attorney who delivers a high-quality service. He helped me with my case with personal attention to details, responsiveness to questions, and very good communication skills in court and in writing letters. He also speaks...
Great lawyer, to the point and gets things done.
Affordable and very helpful , gets back to you asap and updates you in timely manner , Thank you so much for your help ... If you're looking for a lawyer that has you in mind REIFMAN will not disappoint,...
Great attorney, Always available and responsive and will give the best advice!
Firstly, I want to thank Mr. Arkady Reifman for the amazing and professional services he provided me with. Whenever I had a question, he explained thoroughly and carefully and adjusted to my circumstances when I didn't understand he always did...
Arkady Reifman is an excellent attorney who really goes above and beyond for his client, I'd trust him with anything, do not hesitate to call him.
In a divorce, you need advocates. Advocates that are willing to listen, empathize with your situation and quickly ascertain what rights and entitlements one has. I was fortunate enough to be paired with Arkady Reifman. From our first meeting, I...
Very professional, straightforward and empathetic. I went through one of the most difficult times in my life and was glad to have Arkady by my side throughout the process. I was very impressed by the great level of attention that...
Arkady handled my divorce case several years ago and I would, and have, recommended him to my friends and family. I hired Arkady after another attorney has botched my case. Not only was Arkady professional and knowledgeable, he took the...
Arkady handled my divorce case. He has done a great job understanding my needs and was able to prepare a divorce contract that covered the detailed scenarios for what was needed. As a result, my divorce process was less painful...
Arkady took care of my divorce case. He has done an amazing job understanding my needs and was able to prepare a divorce contract that covered the detailed scenarios of what was needed. As a result, my divorce process was...
I was seeking a simple uncontested divorce and I came to the right place. The consultation was over an hour and was free. Arkady took the time to understand my situation and guided me through the process which others I...
I contacted Arkady for an uncontested divorce. I received a detailed extensive free consultation and was able to figure out the remainder of the details I needed to work out with my spouse in order to finalize the process. With...
I hired Arkady to help get some rights back that I should not have lost during my divorce. Ex-wife (who has full custody of our child) told daycare that my  current wife could not pick up my daughter at daycare....
I am thrilled with my results. Arkady was exceptionally professional. He was able to find a resolution for my complex situation where I thought there was no solution. He is a strong professional with a thorough knowledge of the law...
Very Reasonable rates, easy process, and thorough explanation. Arkady was recommended to me for an uncontested divorce. I had recently met my future husband and needed to get an uncontested divorce as soon as possible. Arkady provided an excellent flat...
Reasonable Rates, dedicated service, and excellent results. I had a very difficult divorce, Arkady was able to put the correct protective orders in place, got a great Guardian ad Litem for my child and helped me gain full custody. Arkady...
Professional, compassionate and knowledgeable. I worked with Arkady on my uncontested divorce. We originally thought one set of documents was going to do it for us. However, my ex hired an attorney and I needed to protect my interests. After...
I had four divorce attorneys and one real advocate. My divorce lasted for several years and I went through multiple divorce attorneys in the process. Finding that most just want to drag their feet and get paid. Arkady proved otherwise,...
I interviewed multiple firms before I decided on Arkady Reifman. After interviewing Arkady I had a very comfortable feeling and I knew that I was going with the right professional for my situation. Arkady understood the challenges and concerns I...
Arkady is a great attorney. He listens very well, commits great focus to your case and works for the best possible outcome. It is very refreshing to meet such a hardworking and compassionate advocate. I am impressed at how knowledgeable...
Arkady Reifman was recommended to me by a relative and I'm happy I decided to go with him to represent me in my divorce case. His fees are reasonable, communication was clear and to the point, and he explained the...
We contacted Arkady to help get a divorce settlement for my guy. It had been almost a year and his original divorce attorney did nothing to help. We gave him our retainer and he worked diligently to help us. Only...
Arkady Reifman is a seasoned and professional attorney. I appreciate his help in providing counsel which was effective in the completion of my case.
Mr. Reifman has handled with great discretion and high competence several matters of importance for our family and we highly recommend him.
Arkady Reifman represented me in my divorce case. He was always very supportive through a painful time in my life. I feel secure and confident every time after conversation with him. He also was always very prompt to respond to...
Thank you Mr. Arkady Reifman for representing me in my divorce case. With your guidance and experience of the law. I would recommend you to family or friends or anybody who ask for a family lawyer.
Great attorney, professional, exceeded my expectations, very thankful!!!
Attorney Arkady Reifman was professional on working on my case. Answer all my questions with everything I had. Highly recommend this Attorney
If you are in need of any legal service, talk to this firm first. Our family has used Mr. Reifman's service to resolve a complex child support matter that involved a defendant that tried every legal maneuver to delay his...
Arkady is an excellent attorney. He took my complex divorce case and handled it with compassion and pure professionalism. The result was far better than I had expected. Arkady handled my case effectively and made the process as painless as...
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