THE LAW OFFICE OF WALTER R JACKOWIEC III, P.C. WELCOMES YOU
Over 30+ Years of Experience. Proven Results.
GET TO KNOW WALT
Experienced Family Law Attorney
When going through a domestic violence situation, a divorce or any other family issue, it can be very painful for every member of the family. Every staff member at Walter R. Jackowiec III, P.C. is sensitive to our clients' concerns and will strive to make this most difficult time a less stressful process. For more than 30 years, Walter R. Jackowiec III has provided sound legal advice to clients struggling with emotional family law issues. While clients quite naturally get stalled on the emotional aspects of a case, the firm's job is to focus on the practical points and create a workable plan for the future. While we attempt to negotiate amicably, we do not allow our clients to be intimidated into accepting terms they will later regret. Walter R. Jackowiec III, P.C. looks at the long view and insists on settlements that are fair enough to last. Walter R. Jackowiec III, P.C. is available to assist you in all matters related to:
Domestic Violence
Divorce Litigation
Parentage Litigation
Order of Protections
Post-Decree Litigation
All Other Family Law Litigation
Walter and his associates are members of the DuPage County Family Violence Coordinating Council, which is a forum to improve the professional and community response to family violence. Walter is very aware of the changes in law that has impacted the family. He stays informed about recent court decisions and legal criticism so that he can offer his clients creative solutions while avoiding unnecessary setbacks.
LEGAL SERVICES
Expertise. Intuition. Ingenuity.
DIVORCE LITIGATION
Often times, litigation is necessary in order to reach an equitable resolution to your family's disputes. Our firm has exceptional skill and knowledge in divorce litigation as well as years of experience handling cases from start all the way through the trial process. Because divorce is often a stressful part of someone's life and involves many crucial and daunting decisions, our firm focuses on each client's needs and situation while working efficiently to resolve any imminent disputes, in an effort to alleviate him or her of some of this extra stress.
Walter and his firm thoroughly prepare for every trial as well as each court appearance, focusing on advocating for each client's specific needs and requests. Often times, a divorce requires the consideration of many complex factors, including:
Child custody and visitation
Child support
Distribution of personal property, bank accounts, and other assets
The division of marital debts, sale or possession of the marital residence
Maintenance/alimony
Our firm strategically prepares to handle the complex aspects of each divorce case in order to obtain the most favorable outcome for our clients,
PARENTAGE LITIGATION
This is one of the most difficult issues parents face. Our firm will protect your rights to raise your children in a healthy, thriving environment. Walter and his firm are experienced in all of the complex issues surrounding a parentage dispute, including:
Sole custody and joint custody arrangements
Visitation rights and schedules
Child support enforcement and disputes
Modification of custody and visitation schedules
Enforcement of custody and visitation orders
Decisions related to education, religion, extracurricular activities, health insurance, and the upbringing of your children
In some cases, litigation is necessary to protect your children's best interests. When a parent refuses to compromise and is uncooperative towards the other parent, agreements fail and an efficient resolution is needed in order to ensure that your children are not affected by the lack of collaboration among the parents. In other cases, a parent may pose a danger to the children's well-being, rendering litigation the most appropriate means for establishing parental rights. Our firm's methodical approach and focus on the client provides an efficient and effective means for resolving parentage disputes.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
No one wants to experience domestic violence in their lives. Walter and his firm are very experienced in this field and have dealt with many difficult family violence matters throughout the years. Often times, domestic violence cases will lead to orders of protection and divorce litigation.
Walter and his associates set themselves apart from others in the family law field by being members the DuPage County Family Violence Coordinating Council. The purpose of this council is to establish a forum to improve the institutional, professional and community response to family violence, engage in the education and prevention, coordinate intervention services for victims and perpetrators, and contribute to the improvement of the legal system and the administration of justice.
ORDERS OF PROTECTION
Our firm also specializes in dealing with orders of protection, and emergency orders of protection. An order of protection will often lead to subsequent divorce or parentage litigation. Our firm both assists clients in filing and defends our clients in order of protection cases.
POST-DECREE
After a divorce has been finalized, often times the parties circumstances change and subsequent disputes arise. Our firm handles all types of post-decree disputes, including but not limited to:
Child Support
Maintenance) Alimony Custody
Visitation
Enforcement of settlement provisions
Walter and his firm work directly with each client to facilitate an efficient post decree dispute resolution. Sometimes post- decree issues involve complex litigation, which our firm handles with care and attention in an effort to provide each client with the most favorable outcome.
ALL OTHER FAMILY LAW ISSUES
Whether you are anticipating the joys of adopting or experiencing the frustrations of marital conflict, our firm can certainly help. Walter and his firm have served families for 33 years. Walter provides legal services in a wide spectrum of areas, including:
Adoption
Child custody and visitation
Child support and modification of child support
Divorce
Grandparent visitation and rights
Guardianship
Juvenile delinquency
Maintenance/Alimony
Parentage and paternity matters
Client Testimonial
"Walt is everything you can ask for in an attorney - intelligent, detail oriented and an expert litigator. He is able to navigate the complexities of family/divorce law and domestic violence while also ensuring you're fully prepared and as comfortable as possible for any hearings and trials. Not only did he represent my best interests and the best interests of my children with the highest level of professionalism, he genuinely cares about our well-being and the impact his work has on our lives." - Amy M.
FAQ
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASE AND AN ORDER OF PROTECTION CASE?
A domestic violence case is a criminal case brought by the State of Illinois. The State charges an individual with a domestic violence charge such as domestic battery. The defendant has the right to obtain an attorney to defend him or herself. Also, the victim maybe called to testify to the events that occurred. The criminal case may end in the charges being dropped, a plea deal, or a trial. An Order of Protection case is a civil proceeding in which a court order is entered stating what the accused what can and cannot do such as staying away from the petitioner's self, residence, workplace, and stopping communication with the petitioner. An Order of Protection is to protect the victims of domestic violence
HOW DO I OBTAIN AN ORDER OF PROTECTION?
To obtain a civil Order of Protection you must (1) have been abused by a family or household member or you can file on behalf of someone who cannot file on their own because of their age or disability and (2) you must have the proper relationship with the accused. You may only file an Order of Protection against an individual who is a spouse, former spouse, someone who you have a dating relationship with, formally had a dating relationship with, have a child together, a family member. someone you live with or someone you formally lived with including roommates, and if you have a disability you may file against a caregiver. If you meet these criteria when you may file for an Order of Protection in the county where you reside, where the Respondent resides, where the abuse occurred, or where you have temporary relocated because of the abuse. You must go to the proper county and file a petition for an Order of Protection and Emergency Order of Protection. You may also obtain the documents on line through the proper county.
HOW DO I FILE FOR A DIVORCE?
First you need to decide if you want to handle this matter pro se or use an attorney. If you and your spouse would like to handle this between yourselves, you go to the clerk's office the county you reside at or go on their website. The website will describe step by step what needs to be filed and how you and your spouse should proceed.
It is in the best interests of each of the parties to consult attorneys regarding the dissolution of marriage. An attorney can give you important information about your individual rights in the proceedings. A Petition for Dissolution of Marriage will be filed in the county you reside and your spouse will need to be served or accept service. Once your spouse has been served the petition, he/she will be given thirty days to respond to the petition and file his/her appearance. A Petition for Dissolution of Marriage contains simple information about the both of you including names, addresses, ages, employment, children information, grounds and what you are requesting in the divorce. The goal is to have a Judgment for Dissolution of Marriage entered by the Judge, which permanently settles all financial rights you have. Your attorney can guide you in the right direction in order to see this happen.
IF I WAS NEVER MARRIED TO MY CHILD'S PARENT, DO I HAVE ANY RIGHTS?
Yes, you do have rights to a child if you were not married to the mother or father of the child. If you are the mother of the minor child, you may petition the court for visitation and custody of the minor child. If you are the father of the minor child, and paternity has not been established you may file a Petition to Establish Paternity with the courts. Once paternity has been established you may petition the court for custody and visitation with the child. Once a parent child relationship is established you may be required to pay child support and daycare, school, medical and extra-curricular activity expenses.
