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Should You Hire a Family Law Attorney?

For most people, the clear answer is “Yes, you should hire a family law attorney”. There are very important legal rights at stake and this is a complex area of the law. Most people who represent themselves make significant mistakes and end up with much less favorable results than if they were advised and represented by an experienced family law attorney.

Some mistakes that unrepresented parties make are irreversible and cannot be fixed. The law and rules of the court change frequently. Parties are also emotionally involved and that damages their ability to make the best decisions unless they have an attorney representing them.

CHICAGO Divorce LAWYER

Highly-Rated Family Law Firm

As a Chicago divorce lawyer, representing men and women in Chicago family law matters is all I do.  And I have decades of proven success.

Call Us at (312) 500-5400

divorce legal fees

How much will my Chicago divorce cost?

We are compensated based upon the amount time we spend working on a matter. We are always mindful of keeping the fees reasonable and our fees are competitive with those of other experienced Chicago family law attorneys. Our clients receive statements that show the work that we provided, and the time spent.

The amount of time spent on a case depends in large part upon the goals and requests of the client, the complexity of the case and the conduct of the parties.

The truth is that no law firm can predict how much a contested case will cost because no two cases are identical and much of it depends upon the conduct of the two parties. Good legal representation in a contested divorce or child custody case is not cheap but the parties can conduct themselves in a way to keep the fees as low as possible.

How to reduce Chicago divorce legal fees

There are ways that clients can reduce and control the costs.  Setting reasonable goals, promptly providing the necessary information and documentation , and negotiating in good faith are ways to reduce the legal fees in a family law case. 

But, sometimes, the opposing party is highly unreasonable. If the opposing party is unreasonable it takes more time and legal work to obtain a fair result that protects the reasonable party’s rights.

Selecting an attorney who promptly responds to your calls and emails and who tells you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear, also helps keep costs down.

    How we are paid

    An initial retainer payment is a deposit into a trust account. The trust account is your money until we earn it. Attorney trust accounts are highly regulated. To start a divorce case, we will prepare the Petition and other required documents and we file them with the court. We also pay the court’s filing fee on your behalf. We then retain a special process server to serve the opposing party with the filed divorce papers. We continue to work on your case as needed to …..

    We are paid for the time we work on your case and we record time in increments of 1/10th of an hour (6 minute increments). Principal Attorney rates are $400 per hour, Associate Attorney rates are $300 per hour, and Paralegal rates are $200 per hour.  We usually provide some free tasks every month (some emails, a portion of a call, and/or an e-filing with the clerk).

    James in my office will email detailed invoices and a trust ledger to you approximately once per month to show the work we have done. It is very transparent and documented.  We transfer from the trust account to the firm’s account the amount that we have earned and invoiced. When we provide you with an invoice, we ask that you maintain a minimum balance in your trust account with us as a retainer.  When we finish the case or when representation terminates, we return to you any unearned retainer funds in your trust account. You are in good hands with us – we are a very experienced and ethical Family Law and Divorce firm.

    How long will my family law case last?

    The truth is that no one can predict how long a particular family law case will last because no two cases are identical. The duration depends upon the complexity of the case, the positions the parties take and the conduct of the parties.  Like cost, parties can reduce the duration of their case by setting reasonable goals, promptly providing the necessary information and documentation and negotiating in good faith. If the opposing party is unreasonable it takes more time and legal work to obtain a fair results that protects the reasonable party’s rights. 

    Highly-Rated Chicago Divorce Lawyer

    If you want the best Chicago divorce lawyer, look no further than The Witt Law Firm, P.C. We strive to provide the best legal services to our clients going through divorce.  Our awards include: 

    • American Institute of Family Law Attorneys – 10 Best Award
    • Attorney & Practice Magazine’s Top 10 – Top 10 Family Law Attorney
    • American Assoc. of Attorney Advocates – Top 10 Family Law Attorney
    • Avvvo – 10.0 out of 10.0 Top Attorney
    • Google – 5-Star Rating
    • Illinois Bar Association – Appointed to The Family Law Section Council
    • Illinois Bar Association – Appointed to The ARDC Committee

    ConsultationS - In Person, Zoom, or phone

    Contact Us

    To see how we can help you with your Chicago divorce or family law matter.

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