Guide for Family Law Cases
The purpose of the
Guide for Family Law Cases (PDF) is to answer general questions and provide general information about the procedures in Lake County, Illinois, in order to obtain a Dissolution of Marriage (commonly referred to as “divorce”), a Dissolution of Civil Union, a Legal Separation, or a Declaration of Invalidity of Marriage (commonly referred to as “annulment”).
Evaluator Referral List
Judges hearing cases involving custody and visitation in Family Court can secure the assistance of a mental heath professional to make an evaluation of the family situation and make recommendations to the court on the best interest and welfare of a child who is the subject of a custody proceeding. The Evaluator Referral List is a list of mental health professionals or Attorney-Mediators who have completed the training and qualification and have been approved by the Chief Judge. The Evaluator Referral List is governed by
Local Court Rule 4-3.08.
Family Parenting Program
The purpose of the
Family Parenting Program is to offer an educational experience to parents, with minor children, who have filed for dissolution of marriage, and to parents, with minor children, who are parties to post-judgment custody or visitation petitions, within Lake County. The Lake County Family Parenting Program is governed by
Local Court Rule 4-3.14.
Family Mediation Program
The
Family Mediation Program in Lake County provides divorcing parents the opportunity to submit custody, visitation, and removal disputes to mediation before proceeding to a contested hearing before the court. The Lake County Family Mediation Program is governed by
Local Court Rule 4-3.19. View the current
Lake County Family Mediators Listing (PDF) for a list of approved mediators.
Joint Simplified Dissolution of Marriage
This
Joint Simplified Dissolution of Marriage information is being provided to you along with the necessary forms for filing a Joint Simplified Petition for Dissolution of Marriage. This type of dissolution procedure is not available to everyone. There are limitations on, among other items, the length of the marriage, the amount of property owned and income of the parties.