- DivorceWith more than 10 years of experience in divorce and family law matters, Andrea Heckman Law is prepared to assist you. When you are exploring divorce-related legal options, we will support you and work to safeguard your interests at every step of the process. Our attorneys can help you through many important, divorce-related issues, including child custody, visitation and parenting time to preserve you and your child’s positive relationship. We represent clients in high-asset divorce cases, spousal support and alimony, property partition, and matters involving restraining orders.
- Child SupportChild support may be modified to account for a change in circumstances, such as job loss or medical issues. If support payments have been missed, it may be necessary to return to court to obtain an enforcement order and wages may be subject to garnishment.
- Child Custody and VisitationPlease contact our law office in Rolling Meadows for legal assistance with divorce, child custody, or visitation issues. We serve clients in the Chicago metropolitan area who need the help of an experienced and dedicated family law attorney.
- PaternityFor unmarried couples, establishing paternity is an important legal issue. In addition to ensuring children receive the support they need, it also protects their rights to other important benefits. At Andrea Heckman Law, our
- Premarital AgreementIf you are married, your spouse can claim an elective share of your estate, unless your spouse waived that right in a prenuptial agreement. The spousal elective share is one-third if you have children and one-half if you do not have children.
- GuardianshipThe court may appoint guardians to make decisions about the finances or personal care of adults who are unable to make these decisions for themselves; a Rolling Meadows adult guardianships lawyer can help you with a current guardianship case and can help you make plans about choosing a guardian for yourself if and when you need one in the future.
- Spousal SupportAlso referred to as spousal support or alimony, spousal maintenance is the amount of money paid by one spouse to another throughout the course of a divorce and after the divorce is finalized. Though spousal maintenance and alimony are not awarded in every case, it is important that it is granted or refused in all of the appropriate situations.
- Legal Separation
- DUI/DWIIf you are facing a child custody case, there’s a lot riding on it, which means you’re likely under considerable stress. If you have a DUI conviction on your record, the stakes are that much higher, and you’re very likely concerned about how it will affect the outcome of your case. Fortunately, an experienced Chicago
- Sex Crimes
- MisdemeanorsOnce the court allows visits with your child in the divorce decree, denial or interference with the visits cannot legally occur. In some cases, your spouse, the child’s stepparent, or other parties might attempt to interfere with your visits. In such cases, you have the right to complain to the police. After two citations, the people who are obstructing your visits can be charged with a misdemeanor.
- AssaultDomestic violence is a situation that can arise between a divorcing couple or a couple who has never been married. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding the alleged domestic assault or abuse, it is important that steps be taken to prevent the violence from continuing. Whether you are attempting to obtain a restraining order or defending yourself against one, an experienced lawyer can help.
- Murder
- Restraining OrderAfter an initial domestic violence or harassment incident, it is possible to get an immediate temporary order of protection. Also called a restraining order, your attorney can petition the court for this temporary order and have a hearing date set. At the hearing, both sides can appear and argue their cases, with the judge deciding whether or not the order be made permanent.
- Kidnapping
- Real Estate TransactionsTo help understand when power of attorney may be a good choice, let’s look at a hypothetical example. Last year, Alice moved to an assisted living facility after she suffered a fall in her home. Although she has enough money to cover her expenses for the foreseeable future, she wants to sell her house, but because of her limited mobility, it is difficult for her to meet with real estate agents and prospective buyers. Since she is not buying another house, she is not particular about the sale price. She wants to grant her daughter the authority to sign on her behalf regarding the sale of the house. The best choice in this situation is for Alice to sign a power of attorney, designating her daughter as a proxy to sign documents and make financial transactions related to the real estate sale.
- Social Security Disability
- Estate PlanningA Rolling Meadows estate planning lawyer can help you prepare to enjoy your retirement and avoid family conflict during probate.
- WillsA will is also known as a last will and testament. During probate, which is when the court transfers a deceased person’s assets to the person’s family members or other beneficiaries, the court uses the will as a guide to finding out who inherits what and who has decision-making power about the estate. Your will should address the following matters...
- TrustsIrrevocable trust – You cannot make changes to the trust once you set it up. Most people who set up irrevocable trusts do it so that, for tax purposes, many of their valuable assets do not legally belong to them.
- Power of AttorneyYou can also sign a durable power of attorney, where you retain control over your finances for the time being, but in the event that you become incapacitated (so ill that you cannot make your own decisions), the proxy named in the durable power of attorney will have the right to act on your behalf. Not every durable power of attorney relates to financial matters; you can also sign a durable power of attorney designating a proxy to make decisions about your medical care.
- ProbateIf someone does not leave a will, Illinois probate law still requires the court to administer their estate. First, the court appoints a personal representative for the estate; the personal representative then files a tax return for the state and settles the decedent’s debts, if any. When the estate settles, the court divides the decedent’s remaining assets among the decedent’s closest surviving relatives, such as the decedent’s spouse, children, parents, or siblings.
- Tax LawAt this stage, most of the details are worked out. However, most estate plans will still require you to modify beneficiary designations and ownership of assets. Your assets should be coordinated alongside your estate plan. For example, you may need to make your trust or estate the beneficiary of your payable-on-death accounts to maintain allocations among the designated individuals. While having your retirement granted to your spouse can provide certain advantages, issues like the allocation of gifts and tax planning will also determine which options are best for you.