Northern Illinois Guardianship Attorneys
If you are the parent of a child with special needs, whether your child has autism, Asperger Syndrome, Down Syndrome, a learning disability, a behavioral disability, a physical disability or an emotional disability, you need to protect your legal right to make educational, medical, and financial decisions on your child’s behalf. We can help you.
If your child will turn 18 soon, you need to know that your right to make decisions on your child’s behalf is about to expire. In order to continue caring for your child’s needs, you should consider obtaining legal guardianship when your child becomes an adult. Children are allowed services through school districts until they reach the age of 22 but, after age 18, a parent needs to have guardianship in order for them to continue making educational decisions for their child.
At Whitted Takiff LLC, we are child advocates and lawyers. Our attorneys are available to assist parents in the greater Chicago area, Cook County, Lake County, DuPage County, and the other collar counties, and throughout northern Illinois with legal guardianship of a minor or a disabled adult, as well as with contested child guardianship. Our team has decades of experience representing parents and children and we have built a reputation for doing what is right for children who have disabilities.
A critical component of the legal service we provide is knowledge. We understand that raising a disabled child can be a lifelong responsibility. Our attorneys are committed to providing you with the information you need to make important decisions now and in the future.
Our services extend well beyond simply filing for guardianship. From considering the advantages of guardianship versus custody and the possibility of temporary guardianships to the rights of non-custodial parents and contested child guardianship cases, we are experienced and knowledgeable advocates. We represent clients in contested child guardianship hearings and DCFS cases. We can also arrange for a guardian ad litem to protect your child’s interests in court.
For more information about guardianship of minors or adults with special needs, DCFS representation, or contested child guardianship, contact us through this Web site or by calling 847-564-8662.
Practice Areas for Parents
- Special Education Law
- Suspension and Expulsion Hearings
- School Residency Issues
- Release of School Records and Confidentiality Issues
- Bullying
- Adult and Juvenile Defense
- Guardianship
- Mental Health Law
- Criminal and Civil Litigation
Every child has unique and individual needs. Due process, equal protection, and both state and federal special education law require that every student has access to an appropriate education. If your school district has failed to meet the educational needs of your child, we can help.
Are you the parent of a child who has been threatened with suspension or expulsion from school? You have a right to request a suspension or expulsion hearing through the school district, and the right to protect your child’s access to an appropriate education. The attorneys and advocates of Whitted, Takiff + Hansen, LLC, can help.
Have you received a letter in the mail from your school board requesting payment for out-of-district tuition, even though your child resides in the school district? You have the right to appeal through a school residency hearing. The attorneys and advocates of Whitted, Takiff + Hansen, LLC, can stand by your side to protect your rights and those of your child.
The Illinois School Student Records Act and the Illinois Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act require school records confidentiality. This applies to all education records, including educational assessments, disciplinary records, mental health records, counseling notes, and psychiatric evaluations. If you feel your child’s school records confidentiality has been breached or that the record contains incorrect or inappropriate information, we can help.
Brooke R. Whitted was formerly appointed by the Superintendent of the Illinois State Board of Education to the Illinois Anti-Bullying and Harassment Task Force. This statutorily-created group will explore causes and consequences of bullying, as well as develop guidelines for school districts to most effectively address this pervasive national issue. For more information, see below, as well as the Task Force’s website.
At Whitted, Takiff + Hansen, LLC, we provide experienced adult criminal defense and juvenile defense for clients the greater Chicago area, Cook County, Lake County, DuPage County, and the other collar counties, and throughout northern Illinois.
If you are the parent of a child with special needs, whether your child has autism, Asperger Syndrome, Down Syndrome, a learning disability, a behavioral disability, a physical disability or an emotional disability, you need to protect your legal right to make educational, medical, and financial decisions on your childâs behalf. We can help you.
Mental health issues in children have reached an increasingly disturbing level in the past decade, and research has uncovered that in Illinois 1 in 10 children now suffer from a mental illness, however only 20% of those actually receive mental health services. There was such a concern regarding this increasing problem in Illinois that a task force was created and ultimately led to the creation of the Children’s Mental Health Act of 2003, a law in Illinois which now mandates school districts to address this problem through curriculum and various support services. In addition to this law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) also mandates that children who qualify for an Emotional Disability receive an appropriate education by their local school district.
WTH offers years of experience in the civil and criminal litigation arena, and our representation of professionals in the state and federal courts encompasses various areas, including contract disputes, arbitration issues, administrative hearing appeals, as well as to the areas of school, special education and mental health laws. While the firm prides itself on working to resolve disputes without litigation, we have the experience and knowledge to represent you in both civil and criminal law matters that are related to education and mental health issues.