Illinois Child Custody and Visitation Attorney
The most important aspect of any family law case is to provide the best custody, visitation and child support resolution possible for the benefit of the minor children. Sometimes that is also the most difficult aspect of the divorce experience.
At Michael T. Mahoney, Ltd., we believe that the best interests of the minor children are paramount and the wishes of the parents are secondary. If you are looking for an experienced family law firm to help you through your divorce, please contact us for more information or to schedule an initial consultation.
There are a number of important issues to be considered in resolving child custody and visitation issues. The ability of the parents to cooperate and to get along in connection with making parenting decisions will determine whether a traditional custody order with one parent having all of the decision making authority is appropriate versus allowing the parents in a joint custody arrangement to make major parenting decisions jointly. Suffice to say, if the parents get along famously with regard to the children, joint legal custody is the most appropriate solution. Conversely, if the parents are not able to work together in a productive manner regarding their children, joint custody becomes a nightmare and should not be attempted.
The goal with regard to establishing visitation arrangements is to maximize parenting time for both parents and to make certain that the children's activities are not disrupted by the transfer of children from one parent to the other. However, if there are situations involving parental unfitness such as domestic violence or substance abuse issues, special care and precautions must be taken to protect the children from exposure to such behavior and our law office is very experienced in handling those types of matters.
In Illinois, mediation is now required for all visitation and custody maters where the parents are unable to reach an agreement to settle those issues. Our lawyer, Michael T. Mahoney, will advise clients during the child custody and visitation mediation process and we assist the clients with attempting to resolve those issues based on the results of mediation either through an agreed Judgment Order or by litigating any unresolved issues as may be necessary. Putting the children first should always be the emphasis and that will be our primary frame of reference in handling these types of cases.
Please contact us to schedule an appointment to review your situation.
Personal Attention & Reasonable Fees
We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.
Michael T. Mahoney, Ltd.
Phone: 309-822-4158
Toll-Free: 866-677-8081
Chillicothe Office:
1011 North Second Street
Chillicothe, IL 61523
Map and Directions
Peoria Office:
411 Hamilton Blvd Ste 1900
Peoria, IL 61602
Map and Directions