Family law textbooks for paralegals on the market today are designed to be used in all fifty states. However, family law is state-specific, and paralegals in Illinois need Illinois-specific law, which
The Illinois Family Law Paralegal
provides.
In addition, paralegals need practical skills, such as completing state-specific forms and drafting documents in conformity with the state's Code of Civil Procedure and Supreme Court rules.
provides exercises to build the practical skills students will need in an Illinois law office and includes over 100 pages of standardized state forms.
Chapters are arranged in chronological order, following a case in dissolution from initial petition to final judgment. Additional chapters include topics on domestic violence, adoption, guardianship, and assisted reproduction. Each chapter first presents the black letter law, which is immediately followed by an application of the law. Then, the chapter provides exercises modeled after the practical skills paralegals need at that step in the litigation process. Where the skills involve completing forms, sample forms are included.
Chapters end with a series of discussion questions that invite the student to apply the law to emerging topics. For example, can one parent authorize medical treatment for a minor child to gender-transition, or are both parents' authorizations required?
By using this book, the student will develop skills in legal analysis as well as a keen interest in family law.