A minor whose parents cannot safely care for them
Whether the underlying issue is addiction, incarceration, incapacity, or absence, the court can appoint a guardian of the person and/or estate to give the child stability and legal footing.
04Practice Area · St. Charles, IL
Guardianship and grandparents' rights attorney in St. Charles.
When a minor or disabled adult cannot advocate for themselves — or when grandparents are being kept from the grandchildren they helped raise — the court is the place where those relationships are protected. Christine Marshall handles Kane County guardianship and grandparents' rights matters with the care they deserve.
The Law Office of Christine Marshall represents petitioners and respondents in Illinois guardianship of minors, guardianship of disabled adults (both plenary and limited), short-term parental guardianships, and grandparent visitation petitions. Matters are filed in the Kane County Judicial Center in the 16th Judicial Circuit.
Guardianship is fundamentally about who can make decisions when the person at the center of the case cannot. It is a solemn responsibility — courts do not grant it lightly, and Christine does not draft a petition without first understanding whether guardianship is truly the right instrument for the family.
Grandparents' rights are narrower under Illinois law than many families expect. Christine's job is to tell you at the free consultation exactly what your facts can and cannot support — before you invest in a case.
Situations We Handle
The problems clients bring us — and what we do about them.
An adult child turning 18 with a significant disability
Parents lose automatic decision-making at age 18. A plenary or limited guardianship — filed before the birthday when possible — restores medical, financial, and personal decision-making authority.
Grandparents kept from a grandchild after a family rupture
Divorce, a parent's death, incarceration, or an estranged parent can cut off contact. Illinois provides a narrow but real path to court-ordered grandparent visitation.
An aging parent whose decisions are becoming unsafe
Guardianship of a disabled adult can protect a parent from financial exploitation, medical neglect, or unsafe living arrangements — with the least-restrictive alternative always considered first.
A short-term crisis that does not need a permanent order
Illinois permits short-term parental guardianships of up to 12 months by written instrument. Christine drafts and reviews these when a parent needs a bridge, not a permanent transfer.
Free Consultation
Talk with Christine before you decide anything.
A short call is often enough to clarify your options, timing, and what a fair resolution looks like.
How Christine Works
A composed, protective process.
Four decades of family law practice, distilled into a process built for the pace of real families in Kane County.
- 01
Clarify who needs protecting, and from what
The first meeting focuses on the ward — capacity, safety, current care — before any petition is drafted.
- 02
Consider the least-restrictive alternative first
Powers of attorney, supported decision-making, and other tools may resolve the issue without a full guardianship. Christine will say so honestly.
- 03
File and support the petition through hearing
Petition drafted, notice served, medical reports gathered, guardian ad litem coordinated with, and hearing prepared — all handled directly by Christine.
- 04
Support the guardian in the role afterward
Annual reports, accountings, modifications, and additional court authority as circumstances evolve. Guardianship is a long relationship with the court.
What You Gain
Outcomes clients ask for — and get.
- Careful analysis of whether guardianship is the right tool
- Experienced handling of contested and uncontested petitions
- Plenary and limited disabled-adult guardianships
- Honest counsel on grandparent-visitation viability
- Coordinated preparation with GALs and medical providers
- Ongoing support with annual reports and modifications
Guardianship petitions for St. Charles residents are filed and heard at the Kane County Judicial Center in the 16th Judicial Circuit. Christine represents families from St. Charles, Geneva, Batavia, South Elgin, Wayne, Campton Hills and the surrounding Fox River Valley — and coordinates with local physicians, care facilities, and school districts as guardianship matters require.
St. CharlesGenevaBataviaSouth ElginWayneCampton HillsElburn
Frequently Asked
Answers to the questions we hear most.
When a child's parents are unavailable to care for them — because of death, incapacity, incarceration, addiction, or extended absence — a non-parent can petition the court to be appointed guardian of the person (day-to-day care) and/or the estate (financial affairs).
Any adult resident of the United States who has not been convicted of a serious felony, is not of unsound mind, and is not otherwise unqualified. The court prioritizes the child's best interest and, for adult guardianships, the least restrictive alternative that still protects the ward.
Illinois recognizes limited grandparent visitation rights when a parent is deceased, missing for 90+ days, incarcerated for at least three months, or found to be unable to care for the child, or when the parents are divorced or unmarried. The grandparent must overcome the presumption that a fit parent's decision about visitation is in the child's best interest.
Guardianship transfers custody and decision-making authority but does not terminate parental rights or create a permanent legal parent-child relationship. Adoption terminates the biological parents' rights and creates a new one. Guardianship is often the right first step; adoption may follow.
Yes. When a child with a disability turns 18, parents lose automatic decision-making authority. Illinois plenary or limited guardianship of a disabled adult restores that authority — for medical, financial, or personal decisions — where the ward cannot make them independently. Christine handles these petitions regularly.
Yes. A petition is filed in the county where the ward resides, notice is given to interested parties, a Guardian ad Litem is often appointed, and a hearing is held. Uncontested guardianships can be resolved in a matter of weeks; contested ones take longer.
It is difficult by design — the U.S. Supreme Court has held that fit parents' decisions about visitation are presumed correct. Illinois grandparents must show unreasonable denial of visitation plus significant harm to the child. Christine will tell you honestly whether your facts support a petition.
Illinois permits parents to designate a short-term guardian for up to 12 months by written instrument — no court filing required. This is common when a parent faces surgery, deployment, or extended absence. Christine drafts and reviews these instruments.
Related Practice Areas
Speak With Christine →Christine also handles
- 01
Divorce & Maintenance
Contested and uncontested dissolutions, annulments, and post-decree relief.
Read More → - 02
Family Law
Steady counsel across every stage of a family's legal life.
Read More → - 03
Custody, Support & Paternity
Parenting time, allocation of parental responsibilities, support, and paternity.
Read More → - 05
Orders of Protection
Emergency, plenary, and civil no-contact orders for St. Charles families.
Read More → - 06
Prenuptial Agreements
Clear, enforceable prenuptial and postnuptial agreements drafted with care.
Read More →
Ready when you are
Call (815) 666-4873 — speak with Christine directly.
Consultations are free and confidential. Evenings and weekends available for urgent matters.