See Your Path from Start to Finish
Pick Your Path
Using the two selectors below, you can select your case type and the way it will be handled.
Contested Divorce
A contested divorce is where parties do not get along and need their own representation. This could be due to anything from abuse to disagreeing on who should gets the house.
A contested divorce attorney works as your negotiator, advocate, and legal advisor.
Step 1
Contact Us
Contact us to schedule a consultation for your contested divorce case. We'll gather information about your situation and arrange a meeting at our family law office near you. We’re ready to help guide you through the family law process.
Consultation
During your consult, you'll speak with the contested divorce legal team who will review your case and explain what's next. You'll then receive a fixed fee quote outlining the cost of your entire case.
Welcome Meeting
Once you choose Sterling Lawyers, LLC in Illinois, you'll pay a base fee and our team will gather your personal info. Your dedicated attorney will then promptly file your contested divorce or any other family law case as soon as you're ready. Please know that we're here for you every step of the way. If you have any questions or concerns about your case, don't hesitate to reach out to us at any time.
Filing and Service
In a contested divorce, your attorney helps you complete and file your divorce papers. Your attorney will also help you serve the other party, letting them know the divorce is happening.
Negotiate Temporary Orders
Temporary orders determine things such as what happens to property and where children live while the divorce is going on. Parties negotiate with each other ahead of time to see if they can find a temporary order they agree upon.
If they can’t agree, then there is a temporary order hearing. At the hearing, each attorney lays out their arguments for their side. Temporary orders are important because whether they go well or not can impact the final order.
Mediation Negotiations
Most cases will go through court-ordered mediation. This is where you meet with the other party and a third-party mediator. Through the sessions, your attorney will make sure you are getting what you deserve.
Mediation helps find where parties have common ground and where the court will have to make a decision.
GAL/Custody Evaluation
If there are children present in the case and if you cannot agree to how child custody, placement, and support should look, then a guardian ad litem will be appointed. The guardian ad litem (or GAL) will investigate and represent the child’s best interests. A custody study or custody evaluation can also happen where a social worker and/or a psychologist evaluates the parents and child.
After a GAL’s investigation and a custody evaluation, each professional makes a recommendation to the court on how they should rule. Your attorney will prepare you for either of these events.
Negotiate Divorce Issues
Throughout the entire divorce you and your attorney work with the other side to try to find a settlement you both agree on. Before the pretrial conference, you and the other side will negotiate on any outstanding issues. If you make it to the trial stage, the judge will decide on any remaining issues.
Pretrial Conference
The pretrial conference is meant to prepare the judge to finalize the case. If there is an agreement, the case can end here. But if there are still issues that need answered, the case continues and the trial is scheduled.
Final Negotiations
Between the pretrial conference and the trial there will be negotiations because there is still time to settle the case. Trials are expensive and put all the decision-making power into the judge’s hands. However, when the other party is unwilling to see reason, a trial can be necessary.
Trial
In a full trial, you spend hours in the court room with your attorney as they lay out arguments in your favor and bring evidence and witnesses to prove their points.
Once each side is finished, the judge will make their decision.
Final Orders
Usually, the judge delivers their decision the same day as the trial or it comes soon after. What the judge decides here is final and the next steps are to just follow those orders.
Order Implementation
Once the final orders have been signed by a judge, it is now up to you to complete the implementation of those orders. Your attorney will make sure you know what the final orders are and tell you if there are any other steps you are required to take, such as changing your last name, closing joint accounts, setting up support payments, or completing qualified domestic relation order (QDRO) to split qualified retirement accounts. For any steps that are more complex, we can give you a referral. For example, we recommend Dan Mullin at Crivello Carlson S.C. if you want help with QCDs or QDROs.
Financial Account Closing
The financial account closing reviews your payments from working with Sterling Lawyers, LLC. This means we ensure you get any refund you are owed if your case closes early, or we let you know that no further payment is owed. We will also answer any payment questions you may still have.
Final Survey/review
Finally, once you’re set to move forward from your case, we like to check in and see how we did. We send you a survey asking how we did and if you see any places we could improve.
Uncontested Divorce
In an uncontested divorce, you and the other party go through the entire process together. People who choose this method come into the divorce knowing how things will be split up and just need help with the legal process.
Contact Us
Contact us to schedule a consultation for your uncontested divorce case. We'll gather information about your situation and arrange a meeting at our family law office near you. Our experienced attorneys can help guide you through the divorce process and ensure a smooth, amicable outcome.
Consultation
During your consult, you'll speak with the uncontested divorce legal team who will review your case and explain what's next. You'll then receive a fixed fee quote outlining the cost of your entire case.
Welcome Meeting
Once you choose Sterling Lawyers, LLC in Illinois, you'll pay a base fee and our team will gather your personal information. our dedicated attorney will then proceed to file your uncontested divorce and work diligently to ensure a timely and efficient finalization. Even as we move forward, please remember that you can reach out to us at any time with questions or concerns about your case.
File Jointly
The first step to the legal process is filing for divorce. For an uncontested divorce, parties file together, so they use the joint forms. Your attorney will help you with the paperwork and the filing process.
Decide on All Divorce Issues
After you file the divorce forms, the two parties must determine what they will do about all divorce issues including property division, child custody, and alimony.
Your attorney will ensure that you have everything straightened away and your marriage settlement agreement is completed properly.
Finalize Divorce
Once everything is figured out, you can go to the scheduled final hearing and have everything approved by the judge. If all the paperwork is in order and everything is fair for both parties, the court will approve your decisions.
Order Implementation
Once the final orders have been signed by a judge, it is now up to you to complete the implementation of those orders. Your attorney will make sure you know what the final orders are and tell you if there are any other steps you are required to take, such as changing your last name, closing joint accounts, setting up support payments, or completing qualified domestic relation order (QDRO) to split qualified retirement accounts. For any steps that are more complex, we can give you a referral. For example, we recommend Dan Mullin at Crivello Carlson S.C. if you want help with QCDs or QDROs.
Financial Account Closing
The financial account closing reviews your payments from working with Sterling Lawyers. This means we ensure you get any refund you are owed if your case closes early, or we let you know that no further payment is owed. We will also answer any payment questions you may still have.
Final Survey/review
Finally, once you’re set to move forwards from your case, we like to check in and see how we did. We send you a survey asking how we did and if you see any places we could improve.
Mediated Divorce
In a mediated divorce, the two parties meet with a third-party mediation attorney who helps them through the divorce process. The attorney helps with every step of the way from filing to finalization.
Mediation is perfect for people who are confident they can work together, but know they want legal assistance to make sure they get everything right and that everything is fair. To go through mediation, you need an attorney who specifically practices mediation.
Contact Us
Contact us to schedule a consultation for your mediated divorce case. We'll gather information about your situation and arrange a meeting at our divorce mediation office near you. Our experienced attorneys can help guide you through the divorce mediation process and ensure a fair outcome for all parties involved.
Consultation
During your consult, you'll speak with the divorce mediation legal team who will review your case and explain what's next. You'll then receive a fixed fee quote outlining the cost of your entire case.
Welcome Meeting
Once you choose Sterling Lawyers, LLC in Illinois, you'll pay a base fee and our team will gather your personal information. Your dedicated attorney will then guide you through the mediated divorce process, working diligently to help you and your spouse reach a mutually agreed-upon settlement. Please know that we're here to support you at every step. If you have any questions or concerns about your case, don't hesitate to reach out to us anytime.
Filing and Temporary Orders
Once you have an attorney, you are ready to begin the divorce process. At your first mediation session, you do the initial paperwork to file for your divorce and find a middle ground for a temporary order.
The temporary order takes care of things like who has the child when or who lives where until the divorce is over. What that order looks like depends on your negotiations.
Mediate Divorce Issues
This is the hard part. Parties work together with the attorney over multiple sessions to determine what to do for all of the divorce topics such as property division, child custody, child support, and alimony.
The attorney acts as a third-party mediator to ensure that the decisions made are fair and legal. The more complicated the divorce issues are, the more mediation sessions you will need.
Finalize Divorce
Once everything is figured out, you can go to the scheduled final hearing and have everything approved by the judge. If all the paperwork is in order and everything is fair for both parties, the court will approve your decisions.
Order Implementation
Once the final orders have been signed by a judge, it is now up to you to complete the implementation of those orders. Your attorney will make sure you know what the final orders are and tell you if there are any other steps you are required to take, such as changing your last name, closing joint accounts, setting up support payments, or completing qualified domestic relation order (QDRO) to split qualified retirement accounts. For any steps that are more complex, we can give you a referral. For example, we recommend Dan Mullin at Crivello Carlson S.C. if you want help with QCDs or QDROs.
Financial Account Closing
The financial account closing reviews your payments from working with Sterling Lawyers. This means we ensure you get any refund you are owed if your case closes early, or we let you know that no further payment is owed. We will also answer any payment questions you may still have.
Final Survey/review
Finally, once you’re set to move forwards from your case, we like to check in and see how we did. We send you a survey asking how we did and if you see any places we could improve.
Contested Paternity or Custody Case
In a contested paternity case, parents disagree on who the father is. If paternity has been established but parents still need to figure out custody and placement, they skip the paternity test step.
Contact Us
Contact us to schedule a consultation for your contested paternity or custody case. We'll gather information about your situation and arrange a meeting at our family law office near you. Our experienced attorneys can help guide you through the legal process and fight for your parental rights.
Consultation
Welcome Meeting
Once you choose Sterling Lawyers, LLC in Illinois, you'll pay a base fee and our team will gather your personal information. Your dedicated attorney will then proceed to file your contested case and take all necessary legal actions to secure the best possible outcome for you. Please remember that we're here for you throughout this process. If you have any questions or concerns about your case, don't hesitate to reach out at any time.
Filing and Service
To begin the case, your attorney helps you file the correct paperwork. After filing, your attorney also helps you serve the other party, so they know the case is happening.
Paternity Test
If paternity has not been established, the potential father needs to take a paternity test. There are a couple ways to establish paternity but a genetic test is most common for contested cases.
The paternity test can be ordered through a court hearing or an administrative process. If the person tested turns out to be the father, then the case continues to determine child custody.
Negotiate Temporary Custody Orders
Temporary orders outline things like who pays child support and where the child lives while the case is going on. Parties negotiate with each other ahead of time to see if they can find a temporary order they agree upon.
If they can’t agree, then there is a temporary order hearing. At the hearing, each attorney lays out their arguments for their side. Temporary orders are important because whether they go well or not can impact the final order.
Mediation Negotiations and Parenting Class
Most cases will go through court-ordered mediation. This is where you meet with the other party and a third-party mediator. Through the sessions, your attorney will make sure you are getting what you deserve.
Mediation helps find where parties have common ground and where the court will have to make a decision. Parents are also required to take a parenting class and it is usually done around this time.
GAL/Custody Evaluation
If parents cannot agree, then a guardian ad litem will be appointed. The guardian ad litem (or GAL) will investigate and represent the child’s best interests. A custody study or custody evaluation can also happen where a social worker and/or a psychologist evaluates the parents and child.
After a GAL’s investigation and a custody evaluation, each professional makes a recommendation to the court on how they should rule. Your attorney will prepare you for either of these events.
Negotiate Custody Settlement
Throughout the entire case you and your attorney work with the other side to try to find a settlement you both agree on. Before the pretrial conference, you and the other side will negotiate on any outstanding issues. If you make it to the trial stage, the judge will decide on any remaining issues.
Pretrial Conference
The pretrial conference is meant to prepare the judge to finalize the case. If there is an agreement, the case can end here. But if there are still issues that need answered, the case continues and the trial is scheduled.
Final Negotiations
In the time before the trial date, there is one more chance to negotiate a settlement. Many cases that have not settled settle here because a trial is expensive. However, when the other party is unwilling to see reason, a trial can be necessary.
Trial
In a full trial, you spend hours in the court room with your attorney as they lay out arguments in your favor and bring evidence and witnesses to prove their points.
Once each side is finished, the judge will make their decision.
Final Judgement
Usually, the judge delivers their decision the same day as the trial or it comes soon after. What the judge decides here is final and the next steps are to just follow those orders.
Order Implementation
Once the final orders have been signed by a judge, it is now up to you to complete the implementation of those orders. Your attorney will make sure you know what the final orders are and tell you if there are any other steps you are required to take, such as changing your last name, closing joint accounts, setting up support payments, or completing qualified domestic relation order (QDRO) to split qualified retirement accounts. For any steps that are more complex, we can give you a referral. For example, we recommend Dan Mullin at Crivello Carlson S.C. if you want help with QCDs or QDROs.
Financial Account Closing
The financial account closing reviews your payments from working with Sterling Lawyers, LLC. This means we ensure you get any refund you are owed if your case closes early, or we let you know that no further payment is owed. We will also answer any payment questions you may still have.
Final Survey/review
Finally, once you’re set to move forwards from your case, we like to check in and see how we did. We send you a survey asking how we did and if you see any places we could improve.
Mediated Paternity or Custody Case
A mediated paternity action or custody case is rarer because you have to be able to work with each other. In this method, you create an agreement around child custody, placement, and support with the help of a mediation attorney.
Contact Us
Consultation
Welcome Meeting
Filing and Temporary Orders
Once you have an attorney, you are ready to begin the legal process. At your first mediation session, you do the initial paperwork to file your case and find a middle ground for a temporary order. The temporary order takes care of things like who has the child when or who pays child support.
If you have not established paternity, a paternity test will be done before getting the temporary orders.
Mediate Custody Issues
This is the hard part. Parties work together with the attorney over multiple sessions to figure out what they want to do for each of the custody topics including child custody, child placement, and child support.
The attorney acts as a third-party mediator to ensure that the decisions made are fair and legal.
Finalize Divorce
Once everything is figured out, you can go to the scheduled final hearing and have everything approved by the judge. If all the paperwork is in order and everything is fair for both parties, the court will approve your decisions.
Order Implementation
Once the final orders have been signed by a judge, it is now up to you to complete the implementation of those orders. Your attorney will make sure you know what the final orders are and tell you if there are any other steps you are required to take, such as changing your last name, closing joint accounts, setting up support payments, or completing qualified domestic relation order (QDRO) to split qualified retirement accounts. For any steps that are more complex, we can give you a referral. For example, we recommend Dan Mullin at Crivello Carlson S.C. if you want help with QCDs or QDROs.
Financial Account Closing
The financial account closing reviews your payments from working with Sterling Lawyers, LLC. This means we ensure you get any refund you are owed if your case closes early, or we let you know that no further payment is owed. We will also answer any payment questions you may still have.
Final Survey/review
Finally, once you’re set to move forwards from your case, we like to check in and see how we did. We send you a survey asking how we did and if you see any places we could improve.
Uncontested Paternity or Custody Case
In an uncontested paternity or child custody case, you and the other party need to agree on how you want everything to look. Once paternity is established, you must agree on child custody, placement, and support.
Contact Us
Consultation
Welcome Meeting
Filing Jointly
The first step to the legal process is filing. For an uncontested case, parties file together, and your attorney will help you with the paperwork.
Decide on All Custody Issues
If paternity has not been established, the test can be done at this time. Once that is set, the two parties create a parenting plan to outline how they want child custody, child placement, and child support to be.
Your attorney will ensure that you have everything straightened away and your parenting plan and other documents are completed properly.
Final Orders
Once everything is figured out, you can go to the scheduled hearing and have everything approved by the judge. If all the paperwork is in order and everything is fair for both parties, the court will approve your decisions.
Order Implementation
Once the final orders have been signed by a judge, it is now up to you to complete the implementation of those orders. Your attorney will make sure you know what the final orders are and tell you if there are any other steps you are required to take, such as changing your last name, closing joint accounts, setting up support payments, or completing qualified domestic relation order (QDRO) to split qualified retirement accounts. For any steps that are more complex, we can give you a referral. For example, we recommend Dan Mullin at Crivello Carlson S.C. if you want help with QCDs or QDROs.
Financial Account Closing
The financial account closing reviews your payments from working with Sterling Lawyers, LLC. This means we ensure you get any refund you are owed if your case closes early, or we let you know that no further payment is owed. We will also answer any payment questions you may still have.
Final Survey/review
Finally, once you’re set to move forwards from your case, we like to check in and see how we did. We send you a survey asking how we did and if you see any places we could improve.
Contested Modification
Whether you want to change your child custody, child support, or alimony order, the process is the same. However, each one has its own requirements for when a modification can be made.
Contact Us
Contact us to schedule a consultation for your contested modification of child custody, child support, or alimony case. We'll gather information about your situation and arrange a meeting at our family law office near you. Our experienced attorneys can help guide you through the complex process of modifying family law orders.
Consultation
Welcome Meeting
Filing and Service
To begin the case, you need to file the correct paperwork. After filing, you serve the other party, so they know the case is happening. Your attorney will help you with the paperwork and the service process.
Mediation Negotiations
Most cases will go through court-ordered mediation. This is where you meet with the other party and a third-party mediator. Through the sessions, your attorney will make sure you are getting what you deserve.
Discovery and GAL/Evaluation
If parties cannot come to an agreement, then the discovery process happens. Discovery is the exchange of information between parties to prepare their evidence and arguments for the coming trial. Your attorney will help you determine what information you will need.
If the case is for child custody or support, a guardian ad litem can get involved to determine the best interests of the child. Or there could be a custody evaluation where a mental health professional evaluates the child and parents. Your attorney will prepare you for either of these events.
Negotiating a Settlement
Before the hearing, there is time for you and your attorney to work with the other side to find a conclusion. If the other party agrees to your change, then the case can end sooner.
Evidentiary Hearing
At the hearing, each side presents their arguments in favor of making the change or maintaining the current order. Each party brings evidence and witnesses to prove their points.
Once each party has made their case, the court makes their decision.
New Order
The new order is usually given the day of the hearing, but it could come soon after. Once the decision is made, you just have to implement the updated plan.
Order Implementation
Once the final orders have been signed by a judge, it is now up to you to complete the implementation of those orders. Your attorney will make sure you know what the final orders are and tell you if there are any other steps you are required to take, such as changing your last name, closing joint accounts, setting up support payments, or completing qualified domestic relation order (QDRO) to split qualified retirement accounts. For any steps that are more complex, we can give you a referral. For example, we recommend Dan Mullin at Crivello Carlson S.C. if you want help with QCDs or QDROs.
Financial Account Closing
The financial account closing reviews your payments from working with Sterling Lawyers, LLC. This means we ensure you get any refund you are owed if your case closes early, or we let you know that no further payment is owed. We will also answer any payment questions you may still have.
Final Survey/review
Finally, once you’re set to move forwards from your case, we like to check in and see how we did. We send you a survey asking how we did and if you see any places we could improve.
Mediated Modification
If both parties recognize a change needs to occur, they can use a mediation attorney to help them find a new middle ground.
Whether you want to modify child custody, child support, or alimony, the process is the same. Each type has its own requirements for when a modification can be made.
Contact Us
Consultation
Welcome Meeting
Filing and Mediation
Once you have an attorney, you are ready to begin the legal process. At your mediation session, you do the paperwork to file your case and work through the issue you want changed.
There is no need for the discovery process mentioned in a contested case because both parties voluntarily give each other information during mediation.
Hearing and New Orders
Once everything is figured out, you can go to the scheduled hearing and have everything approved by the judge. If all the paperwork is in order and everything is fair for both parties, the court will approve your decisions.
Order Implementation
Once the final orders have been signed by a judge, it is now up to you to complete the implementation of those orders. Your attorney will make sure you know what the final orders are and tell you if there are any other steps you are required to take, such as changing your last name, closing joint accounts, setting up support payments, or completing qualified domestic relation order (QDRO) to split qualified retirement accounts. For any steps that are more complex, we can give you a referral. For example, we recommend Dan Mullin at Crivello Carlson S.C. if you want help with QCDs or QDROs.
Financial Account Closing
The financial account closing reviews your payments from working with Sterling Lawyers, LLC. This means we ensure you get any refund you are owed if your case closes early, or we let you know that no further payment is owed. We will also answer any payment questions you may still have.
Final Survey/review
Finally, once you’re set to move forwards from your case, we like to check in and see how we did. We send you a survey asking how we did and if you see any places we could improve.
Uncontested Modification
In an uncontested modification case, both parties recognize there is a large change happening to either child custody, child support, or alimony and they are okay with it. For a minor change, you do not need a new order, but if there is a significant change, then the orders need to be updated.
Contact Us
Consultation
Welcome Meeting
File a Motion
The first step to the legal process is filing. For an uncontested case, parties file together, and your attorney will help you with the filing process.
Decide on Change
To make the update, you must outline how the order will be changed and how that order will be implemented. For an uncontested case, both parties must agree on the change.
Hearing and New Orders
Once everything is figured out, you can go to the scheduled hearing and have everything approved by the judge. If all the paperwork is in order and everything is fair for both parties, the court will approve your decisions.
Order Implementation
Once the final orders have been signed by a judge, it is now up to you to complete the implementation of those orders. Your attorney will make sure you know what the final orders are and tell you if there are any other steps you are required to take, such as changing your last name, closing joint accounts, setting up support payments, or completing qualified domestic relation order (QDRO) to split qualified retirement accounts. For any steps that are more complex, we can give you a referral. For example, we recommend Dan Mullin at Crivello Carlson S.C. if you want help with QCDs or QDROs.
Financial Account Closing
The financial account closing reviews your payments from working with Sterling Lawyers, LLC. This means we ensure you get any refund you are owed if your case closes early, or we let you know that no further payment is owed. We will also answer any payment questions you may still have.
Final Survey/review
Finally, once you’re set to move forwards from your case, we like to check in and see how we did. We send you a survey asking how we did and if you see any places we could improve.
Contested Enforcement
In a contested enforcement case, one party is not following the order or broke the order that was previously set.
Whether you want to enforce child custody, child support, or alimony, the process is the same.
Contact Us
Consultation
Welcome Meeting
Filing and Service
To begin the case, you need to file the correct paperwork. After filing, you serve the other party, so they know the case is happening. Your attorney will help you with the paperwork and the service process.
Mediation Negotiations
Most cases will go through court-ordered mediation. This is where you meet with the other party and a third-party mediator. The goal is to see if parties can find to a way to make sure the issue gets fixed. Your attorney will help you through the process to make sure you are getting what you deserve.
Discovery and GAL/Evaluation
The discovery process occurs to prove whether or not an enforcement needs to happen. Discovery is the exchange of information between parties. Your attorney will help you determine what information you will need.
If the case is for child custody or support, a guardian ad litem can get involved to determine the best interests of the child. Or there could be a custody evaluation where a mental health professional evaluates the child and parents. Your attorney will prepare you for either of these events.
Negotiating a Settlement
Before the hearing, there is time for you and your attorney to work with the other side to find a conclusion. If the other party agrees to your fix, then the case can end sooner.
Evidentiary Hearing
At the hearing, each side presents their arguments in favor of making the fix and enforcing the order or why nothing should happen. Each party brings evidence and witnesses to prove their points.
Once each party has made their case, the court makes their decision.
New Order
The new order is usually given the day of the hearing, but it could come soon after. Once the decision is made, you just have to implement the updated plan.
Order Implementation
Once the final orders have been signed by a judge, it is now up to you to complete the implementation of those orders. Your attorney will make sure you know what the final orders are and tell you if there are any other steps you are required to take, such as changing your last name, closing joint accounts, setting up support payments, or completing qualified domestic relation order (QDRO) to split qualified retirement accounts. For any steps that are more complex, we can give you a referral. For example, we recommend Dan Mullin at Crivello Carlson S.C. if you want help with QCDs or QDROs.
Financial Account Closing
The financial account closing reviews your payments from working with Sterling Lawyers, LLC. This means we ensure you get any refund you are owed if your case closes early, or we let you know that no further payment is owed. We will also answer any payment questions you may still have.
Final Survey/review
Finally, once you’re set to move forwards from your case, we like to check in and see how we did. We send you a survey asking how we did and if you see any places we could improve.