By: Steve Vertucci
A family law judge in Chicago once said, “The end of a marriage involving children should not be viewed as the end of one family, but should be viewed as the beginning of two families”. The attorneys at The Harris Law Firm take this motto to heart. We know family law court cases are emotional events for parents and children and need to be treated differently than court cases between large corporations or businesses.
Attorneys at The Harris Law Firm are skilled in representing parents who seek to protect the best interests of their children, including negotiating agreements, mediating disputes and pursuit of a court trial, if necessary. However, just because the attorneys at The Harris Law Firm are skilled in the courtroom, that does not mean you should be eager to take the opposing parent to trial. Having a child with someone bonds you with the other parent until that child is 19 years old. As most parents know, your care and love for that child will be needed throughout their lives and does not end at the age of 19. You will be interacting with the other parent at your child's sporting events, sitting near them at parent teacher conferences, medical appointments, graduations, your child's wedding and other important milestones in their lives. Children are very perceptive when there is tension or hostility between their parents. It is important to think about the long term impact of your court case on your relationship with the opposing parent and your child's relationships with each of you. The stress and turmoil of a trial may have far reaching negative consequences in a co-parenting relationship. A trial should be the last resort used to resolve parenting disagreements.
At the Harris Law Firm, we will not hesitate to aggressively protect your interests and the interests of your children. In cases involving domestic violence, physical or emotional abuse, and other important issues, settlement or compromise may not be able to be attained and contested trials can sometimes be unavoidable. However, carefully consider your options and think both in the short term and long term aspects of your child's life. The Harris Law Firm has a 23 year history of protecting the best interests of children and accomplishing what parents' objectives are. Most importantly, our goal is to minimize the impact of the breakup of the family on the child and to foster an environment where the child can thrive in the creation of two families.