On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Child Custody on Friday, September 25, 2015.
Under family laws in Illinois, fathers have the same rights and obligations as mothers. Although the letter of the law does not preference one parent over another based on gender, divorce settlements and custody orders don’t always reflect that ideal.
Dads need a strong advocate to make sure that their rights are adequately protected, but does this mean that they have to fight to win? Do they have to tear down the other spouse to get their way? The answer is simply, “No.”
Collaborative law is one way to let both spouses win. Each spouse can walk away satisfied with a settlement they had control over and having saved time and money. It is a form of alternative dispute resolution available to families in Illinois.
In this process, each spouse hires his or her own attorney. The attorneys negotiate on their clients behalf. They put their clients’ interests first. They speak up when something seems unfair. They work to accomplish their clients’ goals. They just do all of this while working with the other side, not against them.
When spouses decide that collaborative law is the best approach, they sign an agreement stating their intent to cooperate. The attorneys are part of this agreement, but they must withdraw from the divorce, which gives both attorneys extra incentive to uphold the promise to work together.
The attorneys at Stange Law Firm, PC, trained in the collaborative divorce process. We are able to represent the interests of fathers whether they want to work toward a voluntary agreement or present their case in front of a judge.
