McHenry Divorce & Family Law Attorney

Where a McHenry resident's case is heard

McHenry is in McHenry County, served by the 22nd Judicial Circuit. Family cases are filed and heard at the Michael J. Sullivan Judicial Center, 2200 N. Seminary Ave., Woodstock, IL 60098. The Family Division is reachable at (815) 334-4190; the courthouse main number is (815) 334-4385. Hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Venue is governed by 750 ILCS 5/104: a dissolution case is properly filed in the county where either spouse resides. If you live in McHenry and your spouse has moved to a different Illinois county, either county may be correct, and the choice affects your travel, your witnesses, and which local rules apply. Decide that deliberately rather than by default.

For a judgment of dissolution, 750 ILCS 5/401 requires 90 days of Illinois residency (or military presence in the state) before judgment is entered. Check that against your actual move-in date before anything is filed.

If you need immediate protection, 750 ILCS 60/217 allows an emergency order of protection without prior notice to the other party, and 750 ILCS 60/214 sets out the remedies a court can order. Those petitions go to the same courthouse in Woodstock. Family Division information is posted at the 22nd Judicial Circuit Family Division page.

What McHenry County asks of parents and spouses

Parenting education. Under 750 ILCS 5/404.1 and Illinois Supreme Court Rule 924, parents in a dissolution case complete a court-approved parenting education program. In McHenry County that program is Focus on the Kids, run through McHenry County College. It applies to any parent in a divorce or post-divorce proceeding with minor children, and to parentage cases when ordered. The class is a four-hour in-person session at the Catalyst Campus, 222 E. Church St., Woodstock, and costs $90 per person. Register at (815) 479-7591 or focusonthekids@mchenry.edu; details at mchenry.edu/focusonkids. Signing up early is simpler than scheduling it around a court date later.

Mediation. Parenting disputes are referred to court-appointed neutral mediators through the Family Division, consistent with Illinois Supreme Court Rule 905. For high-conflict matters the county also has a parenting coordinator program under Local Rule 11.14. A Self-Represented Litigant Help Center is available for people without counsel.

The parenting plan. Under 750 ILCS 5/602.10, each parent files a proposed parenting plan within 120 days after service or filing. The plan addresses decision-making under 750 ILCS 5/602.5 and parenting time under 750 ILCS 5/602.7. If something must be decided before the case ends, 750 ILCS 5/603.5 allows a temporary allocation, and 750 ILCS 5/603.10 allows restrictions where a child is seriously endangered.

Financial disclosure and temporary relief. Property is divided under 750 ILCS 5/503, maintenance is determined under 750 ILCS 5/504 including the guideline formula at 504(b-1), and child support is calculated on the income shares model at 750 ILCS 5/505. All three depend on complete income and asset disclosure. 750 ILCS 5/501 covers temporary relief while the case is pending, including temporary support and exclusive possession of the marital residence under 501(c-2).

After judgment. Support and allocation judgments can be modified under 750 ILCS 5/510. If you plan to move with a child, 750 ILCS 5/609.2 applies: because McHenry County is one of the listed counties, a move of more than 25 miles is a relocation requiring notice and, if the other parent objects, court approval.

Local help in and around McHenry County

• Turning Point — McHenry County domestic violence services. Hotline (815) 338-8081. Legal advocates help with filing emergency orders of protection. turnpt.org
• Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline — (877) 863-6338, statewide.
• Prairie State Legal Services (McHenry office) — civil legal aid for those who qualify. (815) 965-2134. pslegal.org
• Self-Represented Litigant Help Center — through the Family Division at the Woodstock courthouse.
• Focus on the Kids — (815) 479-7591 or focusonthekids@mchenry.edu.

If safety is the immediate concern, contact Turning Point or the statewide hotline first. An advocate can walk through the petition with you before you speak to a lawyer, and an emergency petition under 750 ILCS 60/217 does not require notice to the other party.

Working with this office

Jonathan D. Steele practices at Beermann LLP, 161 N. Clark St., Suite 3000, Chicago, IL 60601, (312) 621-4394. The practice covers divorce, allocation of parental responsibilities and parenting time, child support and maintenance, orders of protection, and post-decree enforcement.

One area of focus is cases that turn on financial records and digital evidence: concealed assets and crypto, message and parenting-app records, and spyware or account intrusions. Jonathan holds cybersecurity credentials — CompTIA Security+, ISC2 CC, and EC-Council CEH. If your case involves holdings that are hard to trace, or a question about who has had access to your phone, email or accounts, say so at intake.

How to start. Fill out the short online form. The office runs a conflict check and calls you back. You can also book a 15-minute screening call online. That call is for determining whether the matter is a fit and what the next step is; it is not a full case review.

What to gather this week. Recent pay records and tax returns for both spouses, a list of accounts and property, your children's school and activity schedule, and any written communication that matters to the dispute. If digital access is a concern, do not delete anything.