Family Law

• Divorce
  In a contested divorce, is not uncommon for an attorney to be assisted by highly qualified experts who can trace bank account deposits and withdrawals, examine tax records and conduct lifestyle audits to uncover hidden assets. Some examples of hidden marital property include...
• Child Support
  Before a case goes to trial you and your attorneys at Davis Friedman will have discussed the basic question of what can be achieved in settlement as opposed to what is the range of probable results from a trial. Whether the issues are determining the worth of your spouse’s business, valuation and division of assets, custody or allocation of parental responsibilities, parenting time, domestic violence, maintenance or child support, every case potentially has issues that cannot be resolved without the court’s assistance.
• Child Custody and Visitation
  Thanks to their concentration on complex divorce and related issues in family law, our attorneys are recognized for the focused and pragmatic strategies they propose to their clients. They have deep and proven experience dealing with complex cases, from high value asset distribution to contested child custody disputes.
• Adoption
• Paternity
  When paternity is established, the father has the right to see the child and is able to be involved in the child’s life. As a mother attempting to establish paternity for your child, it is important to note that it is best to establish paternity of a child as soon as possible. Paternity is the key component in the establishment of support payments that you may need to be able to meet the day-to-day living expenses of your child.
• Premarital Agreement
  Regardless of whether you are a business owner, if you are considering marriage later in life that has worked hard to build your wealth, or if you want to protect your future estate and wealth, it may be beneficial for you to consider entering into a prenuptial agreement. A prenuptial agreement, also known as a “prenup” is an agreement entered into prior to the marriage between you and your future spouse that ensures the protection of your financial rights. Also, a postnuptial agreement is another way for you to ensure your protection after the marriage.
• Spousal Support
  Maintenance, previously known as “alimony” or “spousal support” is a payment required by one spouse to the other spouse on a basis that is determined by a judge. In a divorce proceeding, a court may grant a maintenance award for either spouse in any amount or period of time that the court considers reasonable. However, maintenance is not appropriate for every case.
• Legal Separation
  Davis Friedman partners Errol Zavett and Larry R. Kane served as consulting editors for the chapter on family law, which provides a modern and detailed treatment of current Illinois law including procedural coverage of the law relating to dissolution of marriage, legal separation, declaration of invalidity of marriage, child custody and enforcement of child support obligations, as well as orders of protection and related remedies.
• Annulment
  Although they are used interchangeably, there are significant differences between a divorce and an annulment. An annulment is legally referred to as an action for Declaration of Invalidity of Marriage. A divorce is the dissolution of a valid marriage. A divorce recognizes that a marriage existed for a period of time but is now over and in a divorce, the marriage is deemed valid when it occurred. An annulment, or a declaration of invalidity, finds that the marriage was never valid from a legal standpoint and it is just as if the legal marriage never occurred.  A “judgment of invalidity” is acquired when a couple is successfully annulled. Therefore, while they both result in separation, an annulment claims the marriage was never valid from the very beginning of the relationship, while a divorce puts an end to a valid marriage.
• Child Abuse
  When a report of alleged child abuse or neglect is filed with the police, the accused parents or other parties need immediate legal representation. This is because in Illinois, any allegation of child abuse or neglect is taken very seriously by the local law enforcement and state child welfare agencies.

Criminal Law

• Criminal Defense
• Assault
  Domestic violence is a serious crime against an individual and police officers take reports of domestic violence very seriously. There is still widespread failure to appropriately protect and assist the victims of domestic abuse. But, with the attorneys at David Friedman on their side, these victims can be provided with the best legal protection available to them further ensure their protection. Prior to the determination of guilt or innocence, those accused of an act of domestic assault or spousal abuse may face serious immediate consequences.
• Restraining Order
  Motions can be filed regarding all matters including but not limited to child support, parenting time, parental decision making, and all financial issues. Temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions can be filed and entered to protect assets. Courts have the authority to rule on matters during this time period. Parties can also file a motion seeking a pre-trial conference, case management conference, or a hearing.
• Kidnapping
  There is a difference between kidnapping and abduction. Kidnapping involves force or threats of force. Abduction on the other hand usually involves the consent of the child. The custodial parent may charge the non-custodial parent with parental abduction so long as the custodial parent has an order to show his or her custodial rights. If a parent does not have an order showing his or her custodial rights, there are additional ways in which the perpetrator of a parental abduction can be held accountable.

Business and Corporate Law

• Corporate Law
  Davis Friedman is recognized for having some of the most respected family law attorneys in the Chicagoland area by both judges and opposing counsel. Our partners have spent time as law school professors and instructors and lecture regularly for the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the Illinois State Bar Association. Our lawyers are former child welfare advocates, attorneys with the Cook County Public Defender and Cook County States Attorney’s office, mental health workers, in-house counsels and even a professional ballerina.  Many have advanced degrees in economics and corporate law, and are well versed in valuation and division of assets, forensic and future valuation of business, appraisal, co-ownership, income tax implications, and complex compensation structures – critical areas in a divorce proceeding. A Davis Friedman partner led the effort to draft recent Illinois legislation that changed the way spousal maintenance is awarded and clarifies property settlement awards in family law cases.
• Business Disputes
  Greer Malkin brings to her family law practice two vital perspectives: a sensitivity to psychology and an understanding of the complexity of business law.

Health Law

• Personal Injury
  Bernadette founded her solo practice in 1987, initially representing clients in the areas of domestic relations, criminal defense, personal injury, probate, traffic, collections, partition suits, worker’s compensation cases and real estate closing.

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  At Davis Freidman, we offer you attorneys that are skilled in practice areas that are vital to individuals within the LGBTQ community, particularly...
• Wills
• Power of Attorney
  The durable power of attorney for property is a document that designates another person to undertake any financial responsibilities that ensue after ones death. This document authorizes an appointed individual to access any accounts should the owner become incapacitated or unable to administer his or her assets.
• Probate