Serving Rockford and Northern Illinois

Men's Rights in Divorce:

Whether you are a man in a long-term marriage which is dissolving, you need business planning services for a potential marital discord, you are in need of a pre-nuptial agreement or offshore strategies to protect your assets, or you need information on father's rights relating to child custody and/or visitation in a divorce, contact James & Associates  today. They can help you with the following domestic relations matters:

• Prenuptial Agreements
• Property and Debt Division
• Divorce
• Paternity
• Custody
• Child Support
• Spousal Support (Alimony)
• Jurisdictional Issues
• Strategic Planning and Asset Protection

Protecting Your Assets in Complicated Relationships:

If you are involved in a second marriage and need assistance in planning your business succession that takes into consideration the needs of your children while providing for your present wife, the Illinois divorce lawyers of James & Associates have legal solutions. Perhaps you are in a long-term marriage and yet have involvement with another person you deeply care about and wish to provide for. James & Associates  will advise you on ways to set up trusts to handle these issues discreetly.

You may have had a child out of wedlock or a paternity and custody problem—James & Associates are here to assist you. A friend may seek for you to be a sperm donor or your ex-spouse or girlfriend may be seeking too much child support—James & Associates understands the financial options and alternatives and can advise you of your rights and responsibilities and what you need to do to prepare and plan. You may live out of State, in a foreign country or be in the military—James & Associates can deal with the jurisdictional as well as the international matters of child custody and paternity. If you engage in an alternative lifestyle and need advice on domestic partnerships and the changing state law on marriage (this becomes even more important when significant and/or business assets become involved), the Illinois family lawyers of James & Associates are here to help you.

Getting Results When You Need Them Most:

James & Associates gets results. The following is a mere roster of the exceptional litigation verdicts the Firm has obtained for its clients:

• James & Associates appealed the judge's custody decision in a long-running case involving the heir to a manufacturing fortune and obtained a reversal on the custody issue for re-trial in the trial court
• A military male defendant in a paternity action was subject to a default judgment which would have cost him in excess of $200,000.00 (not factoring in increases and college costs) in child support over 18 years. James & Associates went to court showing the case did not comply with the Soldiers and Sailors Civil Relief Act. And, because the court lacked personal jurisdiction over the service member who resided over seas, it was dismissed permanently.
• Financial executive cleared of salacious claims of “child abuse,”- twice-- and wins joint custody of his daughters through the representation of James & Associates.
• A software executive, who lived out of state, was refused child visitation. The software executive was being subjected to parental alienation by the custodial spouse. The custodial spouse claimed the software executive was guilty of parental alienation. James & Associates were able to re-negotiate the client's child support to a lower rate and obtained for him more liberal visitation with his children – without a hearing.
• James & Associates advised business-owner clients in the legalities of setting up protective plans for private individuals off shore in order to affect the business necessities of asset protection.
• In a recent Appeal James & Associates changed Illinois law, previously non-deductible expenses for purposes of calculating child support in Illinois are now allowed.  Illinois now recognizes that section 505(a)(3) of the Marriage Act could be "troublesome" for more “traditionally self-employed” people and recognized that day-to-day operating expenses are deductible and that a self-employed persons presentation of his tax returns and detailed record books in support thereof created a prima facie case to allow the deductions.  To quote the Appellate Court:

Petitioner further argues that although respondent testified that his farm expenses were reasonable and necessary, he failed to produce any receipts substantiating such expenses. However, the schedule Fs to respondent's tax returns show itemized totals of expenses, and his farm account books show very detailed lists of expenditures complete with dates, check numbers, payees, descriptions of items, and amounts paid. We conclude that such evidence constituted a prima facie showing that such expenses were legitimate, and petitioner failed to rebut it.

Take Action to Protect Your Rights:

If you or a loved one is facing a complicated divorce, custody or other family law matter in Jo Daviess County, Ogle County, Lee County, DeKalb County, Carroll County, Stephenson County, Whiteside County, Winnebago County, Boone County, McHenry County, Lake County, Du Page County, Cook County or any of the surrounding cities and counties of Northern Illinois and the Chicago Urban Ring Counties and you need the help of an experienced family lawyer, contact James & Associates today toll free at 866-728-4886, or complete the contact form provided on this site to begin your free consultation. Meetings or teleconferences are by appointment only.