Bloomington Family Lawyers

Family law matters are often emotionally difficult and legally complex, particularly when they involve issues concerning children, parenting responsibilities, or the division of marital assets. Whether you are facing a divorce, custody dispute, child support issue, or post-decree conflict, Patton Moore Perry Law Office is committed to helping you navigate the legal process with compassion, professionalism, and experienced advocacy.

Jennifer and Rachael understand that family law cases impact every aspect of a client’s life. Their goal is to guide clients through these difficult transitions while working to protect their rights, their future, and the best interests of their children. By allowing the firm to handle the legal complexities, clients can focus on caring for themselves and their families during challenging times.

With more than 45 years of combined legal experience, Jennifer and Rachael strive to negotiate practical and favorable resolutions whenever possible while remaining prepared to advocate aggressively in court when necessary. They provide personalized, one-on-one legal guidance tailored to each client’s unique circumstances and goals.

The firm assists clients in a wide range of family law matters, including divorce, allocation of parental responsibilities and parenting time, child support, maintenance, property division, post-decree modifications, enforcement proceedings, and Guardian ad Litem representation. Jennifer and Rachael are dedicated to ensuring that clients feel informed, supported, and confident as they move forward into the next chapter of their lives.

Our family law attorneys serve the following locations in Illinois:

• Bloomington, IL
• Normal, IL
• Pontiac, IL
• Eureka, IL
• Lincoln, IL
• McLean County
• Livingston County
• Woodford County
• Logan County

Family Law Cases We Handle

Divorce

Filing for Divorce in Illinois

To file for divorce (dissolution of marriage) in Illinois, either spouse must have lived in the state for at least 90 days and lived separately from each other for at least 2 years (6 months if the couple agrees mutually in writing to separate). Note that couples without minor children may file for “Joint Simplified Divorce,” which requires both spouses to meet the residency requirement and:

• have been married less than 8 years;
• have no minor children (biological or adopted) with each other;
• own no real estate;
• have a marital estate valued at less than $50,000;
• make less than $30,000 each per year or less than $60,000 combined;
• have less than $10,000 in retirement benefits;
  have resolved all issues in your case; and
• not seeking support from the other.

Perhaps the most important step of the divorce process is negotiating the relevant divorce disputes, such as property division, child custody, and child support. Who gets the family home? Who will the child reside with? These are all disputes that our experienced attorney can help you negotiate, whether in mediation or in trial.

Child Custody and Child Support

Negotiating Child Custody and Child Support

Parents in Illinois may be granted joint or sole physical and/or legal custody, where physical custody refers to who the child will reside with and legal custody refers to a parent’s legal decision-making authority. To determine the child custody arrangement, the court will examine what is in the child’s best interests, which includes:

• each parent’s wishes;
• the child’s wishes if they are of mature age;
• the child’s relationship with their parent(s), sibling(s), and anyone else who may significantly affect the child’s best interest;
• the child’s adjustment to their home, school, and community;
• the parents’ and child’s physical and mental health;
• whether there has been physical violence or a threat of physical violence by either parent, whether directed against the child or another person;
• whether there has been ongoing or repeated domestic violence, whether directed against the child or another person;
• the willingness and ability of each parent to facilitate and encourage a close and continuing relationship between the other parent and the child;
• whether either parent is a sex offender; and
• the terms of either parent’s military family care plan that must be completed before deployment, if applicable.

To determine child support, the court will primarily make the calculation based on an “income shares model” that considers both parents’ net incomes. Net income is calculated by adding up all income, such as wages, commissions, and investment income, and subtracting applicable deductions like income taxes and mandatory retirement contributions. The courts can deviate from the amount determined by this calculation guideline if doing so would better meet the child’s best interests.

Child Abuse and Neglect

Child Abuse and Neglect Cases

Another important category of family law is child abuse and neglect. Legally, child abuse refers to the mistreatment of a child under the age of 18 by a parent, caretaker, someone living in the home, or someone who works with or around the child. Note that the mistreatment must cause injury to the child or put the child at risk of physical injury, though the abuse can be physical, sexual, or emotional.

Child neglect occurs when a parent or responsible caretaker fails to provide adequate supervision, food, clothing, shelter, or other basic needs for their child.

Note that Illinois requires mandatory reporting of child abuse if a person has reasonable cause to believe that the child may be experiencing such abuse or neglect.

Those accused of child abuse or neglect will face Class A misdemeanor charges, and subsequent offenses will be charged as Class 4 felonies. For more information on the laws governing child abuse and neglect, visit our page on Juvenile Abuse and Neglect.

Our attorneys have the experience and dedication to handle your family law case. From negotiating property division or child support to guiding you through a child abuse case, she can provide you the legal counsel you need to make an informed decision for you and your family.