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Lake in the Hills Paternity Attorneys

Our skilled Lake in the Hills paternity attorneys will be your voice. Our are proud of our excellent customer service and cost effective rates, we look forward to being your advocates in your paternity case.
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Smiling womanAttorney Kevin O'Flaherty

"Kevin was extremely professional, responsive and knowledgeable when I came to him for help. I would definitely recommend O'Flaherty Law!"

Top 3 Qualities to look for in Your Attorney

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We believe your attorney should not speak in legalese

Finding an attorney who is a “real person” can be difficult. Many attorneys surround themselves almost exclusively with other attorneys and are accustomed to speaking in ivory tower legalese.  You should be able to connect with your attorney on a personal level, and he or she should speak to you in plain language that you can understand.  You will be working very closely with this person on issues that are very important to you. It is important that he or she be down-to-earth and someone that you connect with.

We believe your attorney should be accessible

The most common complaint that clients have of their attorneys is that the attorney is unreachable, does not communicate with them regularly, or does not promptly return your calls.  Your attorney should reach out to you about your case regularly and respond within 24 hours to calls and e-mails.  An open line of communication between you and your attorney is essential to building trust.

We believe your attorney should be realistic with you about costs and outcomes

Your attorney’s goal should not be to win at all costs.  Rather, it should be to achieve a favorable outcome for you as efficiently as possible.  It is important that your attorney set realistic expectations at the outset as to the costs you should expect, the concerns that the attorney has about the outcome of your case, and the length of time that you should expect your case to take.

Regardless of the nature of your case, we have an experienced attorney who will focus on your individual needs. Our team of attorneys works closely together, bringing each of their different fields of experience to bear in order to optimize our client care.

See why we are trusted

Kevin's firm handled setting up my will and trust recently. They took something that seemed intimidating and made it easy to understand. I've also referred a couple clients to Kevin - he's trustworthy, approachable and very fairly priced.

Christi M.

"I've used Kevin and his firm's services since 2011. He gave undivided attention to my cases, advised me on different options and..."

Marvin

"Kevin was extremely professional, responsive and knowledgeable when I came to him for help. I would definitely recommend O'Flaherty Law!"

Rachel B.

"...your articles on the changes to the child support law are very well-written and informative.”

Julianne

“It’s good to open the door of creative vision to offer a service that may motivate other attorneys to do the same. Keep up the good work.”

LuQman

"Great set of articles. I was divorced in 2014 with one child and would have certainly considered you had I seen these types of articles then."

DJ

More information about our Lake in the Hills Paternity Attorneys

Our skilled Lake in the Hills paternity attorneys will be your voice. Our are proud of our excellent customer service and cost effective rates, we look forward to being your advocates in your paternity case.

Expertise Best Child Support Lawyers in Chicago 201710 Best 2016 Client Satisfaction American Institute of Family Law AttorneysAvvo Clients' Choice 2016 DivorceRising Stars Kevin P. O'Flaherty SuperLawyers.com10 Best Law Firms 2018 Client Satisfaction American Institute of Family Legal Counsel Attorneys Estate Planning Law40 under forty

Contact Us

Please contact our friendly lawyers to Schedule a Consultation.

(847) 231-2102
lakeinthehills@oflaherty-law.com

What to Expect From a Legal Consultation

The purpose of a consultation is to determine whether our firm is a good fit for your legal needs. Although we often discuss expected results and costs, our attorneys do not give legal advice unless and until you choose to retain us.

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Location

Office Address

8411 Pyott Rd., Ste. 107

​Lake in the Hills, IL 60156

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Hours of Operation

Monday
9:00am - 6:00pm
Tuesday
9:00am - 6:00pm
Wednesday
9:00am - 6:00pm
Thursday
9:00am - 6:00pm
Friday
9:00am - 6:00pm
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed

Attorneys

Meet the Owner

I am personally committed to ensuring that each one of our clients receives the highest level of client service from our team.  Our mission is to provide excellent legal work in a cost-effective manner while maintaining open lines of communication between our clients and their attorneys.  Many of our clients are going through difficult times in their lives when they reach out to us.  They should feel comfortable leaning on the experience and knowledge of our attorneys as their counselors and advocates.  We are here to help!

- Attorney Kevin O'Flaherty, Owner

Further Reading from our Lake in the Hills Paternity Attorneys

How is Child Support Handled in Paternity Cases?

 Child support in paternity cases is handled mostly in the same way as in marital cases with two exceptions. Pregnancy expenses may be awarded along with retroactive child support. Pregnancy expenses can be awarded to the mother if the case is filed within two years of the birth of the child. Although retroactive child support can be awarded in some martial cases it is awarded very scarcely. It is done this way because the assumption is that in a divorce case the father was already supporting the child throughout the marriage. In paternity cases the court has discretion to award retroactive child support based on the following:

  • When the father learned that the child had been born; 
  • Whether the father had previously been willing to support the child; 
  • Whether the mother previously sought the father's assistance in supporting and raising the child;
  • Whether the mother had a valid reason for not filing a paternity suit earlier; and 
  • Whether the mother's delay in bringing the suit prejudiced the father. 

You can read about child support generally here: Child Support Explained, and Changes to Child Support Laws for 2017.

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Our Lake in the Hills Paternity Lawyers Will Represent You In Contested Paternity Suits

A paternity suit to establish a father-child relationship may be filed by the child, the mother, anyone claiming to be the child's father, or any individual or government agency that is providing financial assistance to the child.

‍By contrast, only the child's mother or the child's "presumed father" have standing to file suit to establish the non-existence of a father-child relationship.

‍Contested paternity suits can be filed before the birth of the child.  However, all of the proceedings will be stayed until the child is born, except for depositions to preserve evidence and blood tests. 

‍Suits to establish the existence of the father-child relationship may be filed until the child reaches the age of twenty.  However, the statute of limitations bars suits to establish the non-existence of the father-child relationship once two years have passed since the time that the father obtains knowledge of the relevant facts. 

‍Contested paternity suits can be filed before the birth of the child.  However, all of the proceedings will be stayed until the child is born, except for depositions to preserve evidence and blood tests. 

‍Suits to establish the existence of the father-child relationship may be filed until the child reaches the age of twenty.  However, the statute of limitations bars suits to establish the non-existence of the father-child relationship once two years have passed since the time that the father obtains knowledge of the relevant facts. 

‍In order to initiate a paternity suit, the petitioning party must file a petition to determine paternity in the circuit court of any county where any party to the suit resides.  The petition must then be served upon the responding party, along with a summons requiring him or her to appear in court on a particular date.

‍The child's legal guardian can represent the child in a contested paternity suit.  However, the court has discretion to appoint a guardian ad litem.  A guardian ad litem is an attorney appointed by the court to represent the child's best interests in the case. 

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Burdens of Proof in Paternity Cases

If there is no "presumed father," the existence or absence of a father-child relationship must be proved by the "preponderance of the evidence," meaning more likely than not. If there is a "presumed father," the presumption that this person is the father requires "clear and convincing evidence" to rebut, a higher standard than the preponderance of the evidence. ​If a party seeks to prove paternity after the death of a parent (usually for the purpose of inheritance), clear and convincing evidence is also required. ​​​If there is a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity, there is a presumption of paternity that will become conclusive and cannot be rebutted if the acknowledgment is not rescinded within 60 days of signing or the date that the paternity suit is filed, whichever comes first.  

Read the full article by our Lake in the Hills paternity attorneys explaining paternity laws.

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