Carbondale, IL Family Law Attorney

Serving Individuals & Families in Carbondale, Franklin & the Counties of Salem, Williamson & Jackson

Family law issues and disputes are among the most contentious and emotionally challenging. These issues deal with your most private and sensitive areas of life: your spouse, intimate partner, or children. At Darrell Dunham, Attorney at Law, we understand the complexities and emotional stress that are associated with divorce, child custody matters, and domestic violence. 

Our Carbondale Family Law Attorney

Attorney Dunham can help you navigate the family court system in seeking positive resolutions to these types of issues, problems, and disputes. With his background as a mediator, arbitrator, and proven litigator, he is fully armed with the legal skills, tools, and methods needed to solve the crisis you face, whether it involves negotiating a Parenting Plan or seeking a Protective Order to safeguard you and your children from an abuser.

Request a free initial consultation with our Carbondale, Il family law lawyer to discuss your case. Contact Darrell Dunham, Attorney at Law at (618) 836-4474.

Family Law Cases We Handle

In Illinois family law cases, Attorney Darrell Dunham focuses mainly on the following:

• Child custody cases, including negotiating Parenting Plans or litigating alleged violations of these plans
• Orders of Protection in domestic violence cases, whether you are seeking or contesting such Orders in family court

Family Law Attorney Dunham also represents clients in divorce proceedings and in the matter of “no contact no stalking” orders. 

Child Custody/Parenting Plans

Illinois has replaced the term “child custody” with “parental responsibilities” in divorce cases. These responsibilities include making major decisions concerning the child’s education, healthcare, religious upbringing, and extracurricular activities. This issue also includes where a child will live. These matters are laid out in a Parenting Plan which is a document that outlines the rights and responsibilities of the parents. 

Parenting plans should include arrangements for the following:

• Where the child will live, including a schedule of overnights at each parental household
• Details about timesharing for holidays, birthdays, vacations, and other special events
• Details about how the child will be transported back and forth for parenting time
• How parents will obtain information or school/medical records about the child
• How parents will communicate with children when they are not in their care
• Relocation of children
• Resolving disagreements over parenting plan schedules/details

If you need help resolving any matter related to the assignment of parental rights/responsibilities or in filing a Parenting Plan with the court, we urge you to contact our firm.

Orders of Protection

Orders of Protection, often referred to as “restraining orders” are commonly issued in domestic violence cases by judges to protect victims of family abuse. These orders involve spouses, ex-spouses, family or household members, or those who are in or were formerly in a dating relationship. 

These orders provide protections such as the following:

• The abuser is prohibited from making any type of contact with the victim and his or her children
• The abuser is prohibited from harassing or stalking the victim
• The abuser is prohibited from interfering with the victim’s property or pets
• The abuser is prohibited from having a firearm

Depending on the case, other protections may be ordered by the court. 

No-Contact, No-Stalking Orders

These orders provide essentially the same protections as Orders of Protection. The difference is that they are ordered to protect individuals from others with whom they are not related by blood or marriage or with whom they have not had a household or intimate relationship.

Turn to Darrell Dunham, Attorney at Law for Help

If you need reliable and competent legal help in any of the above matters, you can turn to our Carbondale, IL family law attorney. He is backed by more than four decades of experience in resolving family law matters both outside the courts through negotiation skills and as a trial lawyer in all court hearings.

Book your free case evaluation online or at (618) 836-4474 today.