In Illinois, parentage cases are those concerning the rights and responsibilities of parents whose child was born outside of marriage. These cases include matters such as visitation, custody, and financial matters such as child support, college education expenses, and other costs associated with the child and its upbringing. When necessary, establishing the biological relationship between a child and its parents is also considered a vital aspect of a parentage case.
While situations with unwed parents have traditionally been considered a rare exception to the rule, statistics say otherwise. Recent years have seen an increase in children born outside of marriage, with more than 40% of babies born in 2013 to unwed and cohabitating parents. Millennials exceed this average, with more than half of parents under 30 unwed. With this number expected to continue to rise, our firm believes it is more important than ever to consider the rights of unwed parents.
Regardless of whether a child is born within or outside a marriage, parents unquestionably have a legal right to their child and its future. In Illinois, unmarried parents can legally secure the same rights and obligations as divorcing parents with regard to their minor children. Importantly, this process also establishes a number of benefits to the child in the future, both emotional and economic, including right of inheritance.
Stein & Stein offers unparalleled results in parentage cases, from establishing a biological relationship to working through visitation and support for the child. Our litigation team has decades of experience working with the unique concerns of high net worth clients, giving us insight into how best to approach their cases with appropriate knowledge and care. No matter the details of the situation, our experienced attorneys provide exceptional results and attention to our parentage clients.
