New Lenox Divorce & Family Law Attorney

Where a New Lenox case is heard

New Lenox is a village in Will County. Family cases for Will County residents are handled by the Twelfth Judicial Circuit at the Will County Courthouse, 100 W. Jefferson St., Joliet, IL 60432. The main number is (815) 727-8592 and the courthouse hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The building sits downtown at Jefferson and Ottawa.

Venue is set by statute. Under 750 ILCS 5/104, a dissolution case is properly filed in the county where either spouse resides — so if you live in New Lenox, Will County is available to you even if your spouse has moved elsewhere. If your spouse now lives in another Illinois county, a case may be filed there instead, and the first filing often controls where everything else happens. That is worth sorting out before you file rather than after.

Residency is separate from venue. Under 750 ILCS 5/401, Illinois requires 90 days of residence in the state (or military presence here) before a judgment of dissolution can be entered. You do not have to wait 90 days to file; the requirement attaches to the judgment.

If you need something decided before the case is finished — temporary support, temporary parenting arrangements, or exclusive possession of the home — those requests are made under 750 ILCS 5/501, including exclusive possession under 501(c-2), and temporary allocation of parental responsibilities under 750 ILCS 5/603.5. Call the courthouse at (815) 727-8592 to confirm current filing and appearance procedures before you drive to Joliet.

What Will County asks of parents and spouses

Parenting education. Under 750 ILCS 5/404.1, parents in a dissolution case complete a court-approved parenting education program. The Circuit Clerk of Will County lists approved options, including an online course through the Center for Divorce Education. Illinois Supreme Court Rule 924 governs these programs. Register early — the class is easy to finish in the first weeks of a case and awkward to explain if it is still outstanding months later. Details are posted by the Circuit Clerk.

Mediation. Will County maintains a court roster of family mediators, administered through the Family Division at the Will County Courthouse; the contact number is (815) 727-8592. Illinois Supreme Court Rule 905 governs mediation programs in these cases. The roster and program information are posted at willcountycourts.com. Go to mediation with your proposed schedule already written out, including holidays, school breaks and exchange logistics.

Your 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 — education, health, religion, extracurriculars — and parenting time under 750 ILCS 5/602.7. Where a child's safety is at stake, 750 ILCS 5/603.10 allows the court to restrict parental responsibilities on a finding of serious endangerment.

Money and disclosure. Property is divided under 750 ILCS 5/503. Child support is calculated on the income shares model under 750 ILCS 5/505. Maintenance is governed by 750 ILCS 5/504, including the guideline formula at 504(b-1). All of it runs on disclosure: tax returns, pay records, bank and brokerage statements, retirement accounts, business records, debts. Start pulling statements now, in PDF, from the source institution rather than from screenshots.

Moving with a child. Relocation from Will County is governed by 750 ILCS 5/609.2, which sets a 25-mile threshold for moves from Will County and 25 miles for a move out of state. A move that feels local can still require notice and court approval.

After judgment. Support and allocation judgments can be revisited under 750 ILCS 5/510 when circumstances change.

Local help for New Lenox residents

If you are not safe. The Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline is (877) 863-6338, answered statewide. In Will County, Guardian Angel Community Services operates a hotline at (815) 729-1228; information is at gacsprograms.org. An order of protection can be entered on an emergency basis without prior notice to the other party under 750 ILCS 60/217, and the available remedies — including stay-away provisions and possession of the residence — are set out at 750 ILCS 60/214. An advocate can go with you to the Will County Courthouse and help you prepare the petition.

If cost is the obstacle. Prairie State Legal Services has a Joliet office serving Will County; the number is (815) 965-2134 and intake information is at pslegal.org. Prairie State screens for income and case type, so call early rather than the week of a hearing.

Court information. For filing questions, forms and the approved parenting class list, use the Circuit Clerk of Will County. For mediator rosters and court services, use willcountycourts.com.

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 practice covers divorce, allocation of parental responsibilities and parenting time, child support and maintenance, orders of protection, and post-decree enforcement.

A particular focus is cases that turn on financial records and digital evidence: concealed assets and cryptocurrency, message and parenting-app records, and spyware or account intrusions. Mr. Steele holds cybersecurity credentials including CompTIA Security+, ISC2 CC and EC-Council CEH, which matters when a case depends on reading transaction histories or establishing how a device or account was accessed.

How to start. Prospective clients begin with a short online form. The office runs a conflict check and calls back, and a 15-minute screening call can be booked online. The screening call is a screening call — it is there to see whether the matter fits and what the next step should be.

What to bring to that call. The county you live in (Will), whether anything has been filed, whether children are involved and their ages, the rough shape of income and assets, and any court date you already have. If there has been a safety incident, say so at the start.