When custody is on the line, fathers need an attorney who understands the legal issues they face and how to protect their role in their children’s lives.
A Chicago child custody lawyer from the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving℠, Ltd. can help you pursue meaningful parenting time and decision-making authority under Illinois law.
Founded by Attorney Jeffery M. Leving®, the firm has decades of experience handling complex fathers’ rights and family law matters. Leving has practiced law in Illinois since 1979 and authored Fathers’ Rights, Divorce Wars, and How to Be a Good Divorced Dad.
Attorney Credentials
Jeffery M. Leving®
Bar Admissions
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2001
- U.S. District Court Central District of Illinois Trial Bar, 1983
- U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 1980
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois, 1979
- State of Illinois Supreme Court, 1979
Professional Associations
- Illinois State Bar Association, Member
- Chicago Bar Association, Member
- Matrimonial Law Committee of the Chicago Bar Association, Member
- Decalogue Society of Lawyers, Member
Honors
- Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award, awarded by President Joseph R. Biden Jr., 2023
- Served on President Barack Obama’s National Finance Committee, 2013-2017
- President’s Volunteer Service Award, awarded by President George W. Bush, 2006
- Named one of “America’s Best Lawyers” by Forbes Radio
James M. Hagler
Bar Admissions
- State of Illinois Supreme Court, 1991
- U.S. District Court Central District of Illinois, 1991
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois, 1991
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Illinois, 1991
Professional Associations
- Illinois State Bar, Member
- Chicago Bar Association, Member
- American Bar Association, Member
- Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) , Serving on Standing Committee on Judicial Evaluations in Cook County
Honors
- Award of Merit from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
- Life Saver Award
- Chicago Best Lawyer 2015 -selected by his peers
- Best Divorce Lawyer
- 2026 Best Trial Advocacy Award (co-recipient)
Anthony S. D’Agostino
Bar Admissions
- State of Illinois Supreme Court, 1993
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois Trial Bar, 1993
Honors
- Top Legal Advocate Award
- Leading Litigator
- 2026 Keeping The Family Together Award (co-recipient)
Matt Volk
Bar Admissions
- Illinois, 2002
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Illinois, 2002
Child Custody Legal Services for Illinois Fathers
The child custody lawyers at the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving℠, Ltd. were chosen for their legal advocacy excellence and their commitment to the safety and welfare of our clients and their children. We represent fathers in disputes involving parenting time, decision-making responsibilities, modifications, enforcement, and related family law matters. Our fathers’ rights attorneys help fathers understand their options and build custody strategies around their children’s best interests.
Depending on your circumstances, our attorneys can help you:
- Obtain and protect meaningful parenting time by pursuing a parenting plan that reflects your child’s needs, school schedule, and your availability.
- Seek decision-making authority over important issues involving education, medical care, religion, and activities.
- Enforce or modify parenting arrangements when an existing order no longer works, or the other parent violates it.
- Respond to disputed allegations or emergency court actions that could affect your relationship with your child, such as emergency orders of protection.
- Coordinate custody and support issues through child support representation.
What Fathers Gain by Working with Jeffery M. Leving®
A custody case can affect where your child lives, how much time you spend together, and who makes important decisions in their life. The Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving℠, Ltd. builds each case around protecting the father’s relationship with his child and presenting evidence tied to Illinois best-interest standards.
Illinois Best-Interest Factors the Firm Can Use in Your Favor
Illinois courts consider numerous statutory factors when deciding the child’s best interests. But when the other parent doesn’t define “best interests” the same way you do, we leverage every available legal basis, among which include:
- The child’s wishes when appropriate
- The child’s adjustment to home and school
- Each parent’s willingness to support the child’s relationship with the other parent
- The health of the parties
- Any history of violence or abuse
Fathers facing interference with parenting time or other recurring disputes have particularly complex fathers’ custody challenges in Illinois. Our child custody lawyers meet these challenges with decades of experience, building an evidence-based case around your unique situation.
How the Firm Handles Your Case
Step 1 — Initial Consultation
You explain your situation and provide any existing court orders, parenting agreements, communications, or other relevant records. We’ll listen carefully, identify immediate concerns, and discuss possible next steps.
Step 2 — Case Strategy and Filing
Based on the outcome of our consultation and retention, we’ll prepare the appropriate petition or response, develop a proposed parenting plan when needed, and identify evidence to strengthen your position.
Step 3 — Negotiation, Mediation, or Litigation
Some disputes resolve through agreement or mediation. When court intervention is necessary, the firm helps fathers obtain evidence for the firm to present to the court under Illinois best-interest standards and respond to the other party’s claims.
Step 4 — Post-Decree Support
Custody issues may continue after a court enters an order. We handle modification and enforcement matters when parenting arrangements change or the other party does not follow court-ordered parenting time.
Serving Chicago and Surrounding Illinois Communities
The Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving℠, Ltd. represents fathers facing child custody and parenting disputes across Illinois. Based in downtown Chicago, our child custody lawyers understand relevant laws and court procedures and prepare you for the legal and practical issues that arise during a contested parenting case.
Cook County Domestic Relations Division — What Fathers Should Know
Cook County Domestic Relations Division handles all dissolution, parentage, and allocation of parental responsibilities cases in Chicago. Cases are assigned to a specific judge for the life of the matter.
Why Fathers Choose The Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving℠, Ltd.
Fathers facing custody disputes deserve legal strategies focused on protecting their relationships with their children.
- Decades of fathers’ rights advocacy and experience. Founder Attorney Jeffery M. Leving® has practiced law in Illinois since 1979 and has built his career and reputation around fathers’ rights and family law.
- Recognized fathers’ rights authority. Leving is the author of Fathers’ Rights, Divorce Wars, and How to Be a Good Divorced Dad. Having served on President Obama’s National Finance Committee, he has appeared numerous times in national and Chicago-area media.
- Illinois-focused representation. The firm’s attorneys handle disputes involving parenting time, parental decision-making, enforcement, modifications, and related family law matters under Illinois law.
- Representation beyond the initial order. When circumstances change, or a parenting order is violated, fathers can return to the firm for enforcement or modification representation.
Talk to a child custody attorney in Chicago today. Schedule a consultation with the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving℠, Ltd. to discuss your circumstances and possible next steps.
FAQs
Can a father get 50/50 custody in Illinois?
A father may seek equal parenting time, but Illinois law does not automatically award a specific schedule to either parent. Courts allocate parenting time according to the child’s best interests and consider statutory factors specific to each family.
How much does a child custody lawyer cost in Illinois?
Legal fees depend on the case’s complexity and how much negotiation or litigation is required. We offer confidential consultations so fathers can discuss their case and ask about costs before deciding how to proceed.
How long does a child custody case take in Illinois?
Every case is different. An agreed parenting plan may resolve a case much faster than a contested case involving discovery, mediation, a Guardian ad Litem, or trial. Our attorneys can provide a more realistic expectation after reviewing the circumstances of your case.
What if the other parent violates the parenting plan?
Illinois law provides an expedited procedure for enforcing allocated parenting time. Depending on the circumstances, courts may order remedies such as additional parenting time and other legally authorized relief. Fathers should document missed or denied parenting time and speak with an attorney here about appropriate enforcement options.
Schedule Your Child Custody Consultation
Your relationship with your child deserves the best legal protection. The Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving℠, Ltd. is here to review your situation, explain your options under Illinois law, and help you determine your next steps.
