Divorce, Family Law & Estate Planning Services

For those seeking to establish a new family relationship through a formal adoption process, Stern Perkoski Mendez offers thorough, sensitive legal adoption services in Evanston, Chicago, Lake Forest, Oak Brook and the surrounding suburbs.

Asset protection is the process of ensuring your assets from creditors, unwanted distribution, liquidation and excessive taxation.

Many issues need to be resolved before a divorce is finalized in Illinois. When a couple cannot reach an agreement amicably or through negotiation, but still wish to avoid the demands of litigation, a mediator can be brought in to help. Attorney-assisted mediation occurs when the couple’s divorce lawyers also join the mediation process.

In all court issues involving children, the most important consideration is protecting the best interest of the child—which is why Illinois courts carefully monitor where the child moves to maintain this best interest. When a child moves a significant distance, it must be approved by the court. Legally, this is called child relocation (previously known as child removal).

One of the most important issues to resolve in a divorce is ensuring all of the couple’s children have a stable financial future to guarantee their well being. This financial obligation is called child support.

If you’re seeking to keep decision-making during a divorce within your family, rather than leaving it up to the courts, Stern Perkoski Mendez offers collaborative divorce services as a productive solution in Evanston, Chicago, Lake Forest, Oak Brook and the surrounding suburbs.

Corporate planning permits individuals and businesses to separate their individual assets and liabilities from that of the corporation’s, establish a succession plan and reduce the size of the business-owner’s taxable estate. The incorporation process includes selecting the appropriate corporate entity, drafting corporate bylaws and planning for the day-to-day operations of the business.

At Stern Perkoski Mendez in Evanston, Chicago, Lake Forest and Oak Brook, we understand that you probably never thought you would need to hire a divorce lawyer. That’s why we take our responsibility so seriously to represent you in an Illinois divorce—and to guide you in understanding the divorce process.

After issues are finalized in a divorce, we always hope that both parties follow the terms of those agreements—but unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. When this happens, it may be necessary to bring an action against your spouse to compel him or her to comply with your agreement or the court’s decision. This action is called an enforcement of judgment.

After issues are finalized in a divorce, we always hope that both parties follow the terms of those agreements—but unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. When this happens, it may be necessary to bring an action against your spouse to compel him or her to comply with your agreement or the court’s decision. This action is called an enforcement of judgment.

Estate planning is the process of preparing the distribution of one’s assets in the event of incapacity or death.

If your high income level, family wealth or personal investments are adding complexity to the dissolution of your marriage, Stern Perkoski Mendez has attorneys who specialize in high net worth divorce. We have expertise determining how to best manage family gifts, high income and complicated compensation structures while ensuring your income and assets are protected.

At Stern Perkoski Mendez, we are here to support LGBTQ+ people during divorce and offer stability throughout the legal process. Our attorneys specialize in same-gender divorce (often referred to as same-sex divorce). We are committed to empowering you to make the careful and often complicated decisions surrounding divorce with confidence.

At Stern Perkoski Mendez, our immigration law team knows that that nothing is more important than keeping your family together during and after your immigration case. That’s why we take our responsibility so seriously to represent you—and guide you in understanding every step of the legal process.

As a divorced couple experiences salary changes, remarriage or other life events, divorce judgments and parenting agreements should be modified to reflect this new set of circumstances. Fortunately, Illinois law permits the modification of nearly any issue covered in your original divorce—including maintenance (alimony), child support and parenting time. This is known as a modification of judgment.

If a couple has children, their divorce must address the issue of parental allocation—which includes both decision-making authority and parenting time. Parental decision-making authority is the legal right to make decisions regarding the child. Parenting time, also known as visitation, is the time each parent spends with a child and how that time is divided.

Paternity cases are often about more than determining who is a child’s father. Once the legal father has been established, what will his role be in the child’s life? How much financial support should he provide? While separate from a divorce, a paternity case encompasses many of the same issues, including child support, parental allocation and parenting time.

If a couple agrees on how issues should be resolved should they ever face a divorce, it can be far better to address those issues ahead of time. In this circumstance, a family lawyer can put an agreement into place to ensure that the couple’s wishes are carried out in case they do get divorced. This is known as a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement based on whether it was created before or after the marriage.