Family Law and Mediation

Family Law

Family law involves issues such as divorce, child custody, adoption and domestic violence: situations that are always difficult and often a source of great anxiety for clients. Clients with family law issues often need more than simple representation; they need help formulating a strategy that will lead to their long-term well-being. At Kurtz & Augenlicht, we bring two interrelated roles to our practice of family law: attorney and counselor.

As attorneys, we work to advance the legal and financial best interests of a client. We advocate diligently to enforce their legal rights, while striving to keep the process free of unnecessary drama and negativity. Our approach, whenever possible, is to foster cooperation between the parties and help craft a fair solution to the dispute. When necessary, we act as a shield to protect our clients from abuse and harassment.

As counselors, we help to make the law accessible and provide a voice of reason in confusing situations. Kurtz & Augenlicht understands that a client's best interests cannot solely be measured by monetary awards. Family law, in particular, requires a recognition that the parties may have to deal with each other for years after the completion of litigation, especially if there are children involved. In this context, we help both spouses maintain a sense of perspective to avoid unnecessarily hostile litigation that only serves to embitter the parties and make lawyers rich.

Mediation

A couple looking for a divorce may not want or need adversarial litigation; they may decide that while they cannot continue to live together, they want to part on good terms. In these situations, divorce mediation with Kurtz & Augenlicht can be appropriate. This mediation process can help a couple to handle the legal issues presented by divorce (care for children, distribution of property), while avoiding the high costs and animosity of traditional litigation.

Mediation is appropriate for couples with a sufficiently complicated financial picture that obtaining a divorce without legal assistance is unwise, but where both spouses feel that they can essentially trust each other. As mediators, we do not represent either side, but rather work with the couple to resolve the legal and financial issues that must be addressed as part of a divorce. With the agreement reduced to writing, a couple can file for divorce and move the matter quickly through the system.

Most importantly, a couple able to resolve their differences through mediation can remain friends and keep their hard-earned money to build a future for themselves.

If you need help, call us at 312.526.3928 or email Robert.