DIVORCE AND FAMILY LAW
Justin has been handling cases in family law for over twenty years, and has a stellar reputation amongst judges and attorneys for his work in this field. At the most challenging times in the lives of his clients, Justin’s experience and resolve lead to positive solutions and results. Whether in the courtroom or through negotiations, he advocates for you as an individual, protecting critical financial interests and rights to your children. Justin routinely handles divorces, custody cases, child support, spousal support (alimony and maintenance) and modification cases, as well as adoptions, guardianships/conservatorships, juvenile court proceedings and other important family law matters such as prenuptial agreements. At Teitle Law Offices, P.C., we believe the cornerstones to success are listening, preparing and acting. While other family law attorneys may talk big and make threats, Justin is busy getting results, just as he has done for his entire career. Let him help you today.
DIVORCE
Splitting up is tough, no matter how you look at it. The outcome of a divorce will affect you for many years to come, particularly if children are involved. When parties are going through a dissolution of marriage, there are many issues the court must consider and determine, including those related to both finances and children. A judge will order the division of your property and debts, establish both legal and physical custody of your children, visitation rights, and determine support for both children and spouses (if applicable). This may include college or post-secondary education support for adult children. In divorce cases procedures exist to address temporary matters which may be disputed, such as restraining orders in domestic violence cases, payment of household bills or other situations. The law provides for full disclosure of financial information in the “discovery” process, and parties have the opportunity to reach a mutual agreement on all issues. If no agreement is reached, a judge makes the decision after each side has presented evidence and testimony.
At Teitle Law Offices, P.C., we have regularly handled complex divorces involving high income and net worth individuals, multimillion dollar businesses, medical practices, real estate holdings and other circumstances requiring specialized knowledge. Justin has a long history of working for clients at Deere & Company, Arconic, the Rock Island Arsenal, Genesis Health Systems, Unity Point and many others, for both management level and front line employees. Justin also routinely represents school district personnel, and has extensive experience with division of IPERS benefits and other pension systems. His thorough knowledge of the law is critical to his ability to achieve a fair resolution of his clients’ cases. Justin has served on statewide committees for continuing legal education, and has been appointed to multiple task force positions by the Iowa Supreme Court. He can guide you through each step of the process and discuss the specifics of how the law applies to your situation.
PATERNITY, CUSTODY and CHILD SUPPORT
In some cases, paternity of a child may not have been established at birth or otherwise, or may have been incorrectly established. In other situations, although paternity is known or established, there is no court order governing the rights of the parents of a child. There are many options involved in choosing an appropriate parenting agreement and schedules for custody or visitation rights. Courts address matters such as shared custody (joint physical custody), primary custody, split custody, and legal custody. Factors in determining parental rights to custody are many and varied, and include an examination of the past history of each parent’s role with the child or children, as well as other issues such as substance abuse, domestic violence, criminal record, child abuse and mental health concerns.
In all cases involving children, the obligation for child support and medical support is a factor. When a government agency is involved, such as the Child Support Recovery Unit, separate laws govern agency actions and affect the way child support is addressed by the court. In both Iowa and Illinois, child support guidelines use formulas to determine an appropriate amount of support to be paid. A party’s income can be more difficult to ascertain in certain situations, especially if bonuses and incentive pay are involved, or if he or she is self-employed. Child support will also vary depending on the type of custodial arrangement, and in some situations parents sharing custody can agree to waive child support altogether. Navigating the child support laws takes attention to detail, and we are ready to help you with all of your questions in this area.
UNBUNDLED LEGAL SERVICES
Sometimes a client is not in a position to incur the expense of ongoing representation in a case, or does not wish to engage legal counsel for other reasons, but is still in need of help with a specific task, such as drafting or reviewing one document, or making a child support calculation, or giving advice on what type of evidence to bring to a particular hearing. For these situations Teitle Law Offices, P.C., offers what today’s legal market calls “unbundled legal services”, which allows attorneys to limit our responsibility to a specific defined purpose without handling your representation generally in a case. Although it is not generally not the most comprehensive way to handle a matter, Justin believes it is important to offer solutions which are best suited to the individual. If you would like more information about this form of limited representation, let us know.
ADOPTION, GUARDIANSHIP and CONSERVATORSHIP
Adding to a family is one of the most rewarding experiences you can ever undertake. Depending on the type of adoption, legal requirements will vary as to what must be done before finalizing the case. Adoptions involving foster children, newborns or non-relatives may require a home study, and a separate proceeding for termination of parental rights. In certain situations, the process can be more streamlined, such as stepparent adoptions, adoptions of an adult, or international adoptions. Teitle Law Offices, P.C., is experienced in the area of adoption, and can help you through the process from beginning to end. We celebrate every opportunity to handle these matters.
When a family member is a minor, has special needs, or becomes unable to handle his or her own day to day needs or financial matters, it may be necessary to consider taking court action to establish a guardianship or conservatorship. A guardianship allows someone to care for and make daily decisions for another (the “ward”), including medical decisions and the location of his or her residence, among other things. This legal authority is sometimes needed for school registration, insurance and governmental benefits. If power to handle financial issues is important, then a conservatorship is needed. Conservators can hold and invest funds for their ward, and they owe what is called a fiduciary duty with respect to the ward’s property. Both guardians and conservators are required by law to report to the court annually concerning their duties and activities on behalf of the ward. Justin has established many guardianships and conservatorships over the years for clients, and will answer all of your questions in order to make an appropriate recommendation.