Geneva, Illinois Grandparents' Rights Lawyer

Experienced Child Custody and Visitation Attorney

Across the nation many grandparents are playing pivotal roles in the lives of their grandchildren. An increasing number of grandparents, separated from their grandchildren, are seeking visitation rights. Illinois law provides for the visitation rights of grandparents, as well as other non-parents, including caregivers, step-parents, and foster parents. If you are pursuing your right to spend time with your grandchildren, an experienced grandparents’ rights attorney can help you resolve your case favorably. The family law and divorce attorneys at the The Law Offices of Douglas B. Warlick & Associates have won visitation rights for grandparents throughout St. Charles, Elgin, Batavia, Aurora, Naperville, Oswego, Yorkville, and DuPage County.

Kane County Grandparents' Rights Attorney

The statutes in Illinois law, the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (750 ILCS 5/101), the Illinois Probate Act of 1975 (755 ILCS 5/1-1), and the Illinois Adoption Act (750 ILCS 5/0.01), address the rights of grandparents to sue for visitation with their grandchildren, in situations in which:

• The parents are not living with one another;
• One parent is absent;
• One parent is deceased; or
• One parent joins in the grandparent's petition for visitation.

State law, which only requires reasonable access to visitation, also accommodates great-grandparents and siblings. In cases where paternal grandparents want to seek visitation of a grandchild born to unmarried parents, they must prove their kinship through a paternity test before the courts will consider awarding visitation rights. In spite of the law supporting the right of grandparents to spend time with their grandchildren, when custodial parents refuse that access, grandparents have no real leverage. Modification to grandparents’ visitation orders can be requested every two years. It should be noted that grandparents are able to seek visitation rights under these circumstances:

• Children are more than a year old;
• The visitation petition is filed in the county in which the child resides;
• The visitation petition can be made during a pending divorce or any other child custody proceeding;
• The parent has been missing for three months;
• The parent has been incarcerated during the three month period prior to the filing of the petition; or
• The grandchild has been adopted by a relative or a stepparent.

Contact Skilled Grandparents’ Rights Lawyer

The Law Offices of Douglas B. Warlick & Associates know the value of grandparents in the lives of their grandchildren. We can offer the kind of skilled and knowledgeable legal representation in grandparents’ visitation cases that gets results. You can depend on our firm for effective and affordable representation. From our Geneva office, we can accommodate clients throughout Illinois. Contact our office at 630-232-9700 to set up a discounted rate initial consultation.