Lake County Divorce & Family Law Attorney

Where Lake County cases are heard

Divorce, parentage, support and parenting cases for Lake County residents are filed in the 19th Judicial Circuit and heard at the Lake County Courthouse & Administration Building, 18 N. County St., Waukegan, IL 60085. The main number is (847) 377-3600. The building is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Family Division courtrooms are on the main level, numbered C-101 through C-107, and on the fourth floor at C-401 and C-402. Parking is available in the City of Waukegan garage and in lots D, E and F. Check your notice or order for the courtroom before you go; family calls are spread across two floors.

Under 750 ILCS 5/104, a dissolution case belongs in the county where either party resides. If you live in Lake County and your spouse has moved elsewhere in Illinois, Waukegan is a proper place to file, and so is their county. Separately, 750 ILCS 5/401 requires 90 days of Illinois residency (or military presence in the state) before a judgment of dissolution can be entered. That is a requirement for the judgment, not a bar to filing, but confirm it early if you or your spouse recently moved into or out of Illinois.

Current courthouse information is published by the circuit at 19thcircuitcourt.state.il.us.

What the 19th Judicial Circuit requires of parents

If you have minor children, two local requirements will come up quickly, and you can get ahead of both before your first court date.

Parenting education. Under 750 ILCS 5/404.1, parents in dissolution cases attend a court-approved parenting education program; Illinois Supreme Court Rule 924 governs these programs. In Lake County the course is the Family Parenting Program through the College of Lake County — the Children First 4-hour course. It applies to parents with minor children who have filed for dissolution and to parents in post-judgment parenting petitions. Take it in person at CLC Waukegan, Grayslake or Vernon Hills (Saturday mornings, Monday and Thursday evenings) or online. Cost is $60 per person in person or $100 online, with fee waivers for inability to pay. Register at (847) 543-2185. Details are on the circuit's Family Parenting page.

Mediation. Local Court Rule 4-3.19 requires mediation where parenting issues are unresolved, and Illinois Supreme Court Rule 905 addresses court mediation programs. Mediation here covers parenting time, decision-making and relocation disputes before a contested hearing, with court-approved family mediators from a roster published by the circuit. Recognized exemptions include domestic violence, intimidation, substance abuse, child abuse, mental illness and cognitive impairment. If any apply, raise it early rather than sitting through a process that is not safe or appropriate. See the circuit's Family Mediation page.

A parenting plan. Under 750 ILCS 5/602.10, a proposed parenting plan is due within 120 days after service or filing. Drafting it early forces decisions about the school-year schedule, holidays, exchanges and how decisions get made. The substance is governed by 750 ILCS 5/602.5 (significant decision-making) and 750 ILCS 5/602.7 (parenting time).

Financial disclosure and money issues. Property is divided under 750 ILCS 5/503, maintenance is addressed under 750 ILCS 5/504 including the guideline formula at 504(b-1), and child support follows the income shares approach in 750 ILCS 5/505. Start pulling documents now: tax returns, pay records, bank and brokerage statements, retirement account statements, business records, and statements for accounts you do not control. Gaps are easier to address at the start than after a temporary order is entered.

If you need something before the case is resolved. 750 ILCS 5/501 allows temporary relief, including temporary support and exclusive possession of the marital residence under 501(c-2). 750 ILCS 5/603.5 allows a temporary allocation of parental responsibilities, and 750 ILCS 5/603.10 permits restriction of parental responsibilities on serious endangerment. After judgment, 750 ILCS 5/510 governs modification of support and of allocation judgments, and 750 ILCS 5/609.2 governs relocation — for a Lake County parent, a move of more than 25 miles, or 25 miles out of state.

Local help in Lake County

Legal aid. Prairie State Legal Services has a Waukegan office and can be reached at (815) 965-2134. If cost is the obstacle to getting advice, call before your first court date rather than after.

Domestic violence. A Safe Place operates a hotline at (800) 600-7233 and provides order-of-protection accompaniment at the Waukegan courthouse. The Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline is (877) 863-6338.

Orders of protection are governed by 750 ILCS 60/214, which sets out the available remedies, and 750 ILCS 60/217, which allows an emergency order without prior notice to the other party.

• Courthouse: 18 N. County St., Waukegan, IL 60085 — (847) 377-3600, Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Parenting course registration: (847) 543-2185
• Prairie State Legal Services, Waukegan: (815) 965-2134
• A Safe Place hotline: (800) 600-7233

Working with this office

Jonathan D. Steele practices at Beermann LLP, 161 N. Clark St., Suite 3000, Chicago, IL 60601. The office phone is (312) 621-4394.

The work covers divorce, allocation of parental responsibilities and parenting time, child support and maintenance, orders of protection, and post-decree enforcement, with particular experience in cases that turn on financial records and digital evidence — concealed assets and crypto, message and parenting-app records, and spyware and account intrusions. Jonathan holds cybersecurity credentials: CompTIA Security+, ISC2 CC and EC-Council CEH.

How to start. Prospective clients begin with a short online form. The office runs a conflict check and calls you back. You can also book a 15-minute screening call online.

What helps before that call. A short timeline of what has happened, whether anything has been filed in Waukegan, the ages of any children, a rough picture of income and accounts, and any documents or messages you think matter. If you believe someone has accessed your accounts or devices, say so on the call — that changes what you should and should not do with your phone and email in the meantime.