Beermann LLP is proud to announce that two of its partners have been approved to represent children in domestic relations matters as a guardian ad litem or child representative. Shana Vitek has been approved to represent children in Lake County and Jessica Boike has been approved to represent children in Cook County cases.
In divorce or parentage cases where parenting time, allocation of parental responsibilities (formerly called “custody”) or any other issue relating to a child’s best interest is at issue, the court may appoint an attorney to represent the child or children in that case. The judge will task this attorney with investigating the circumstances of the family and making recommendations to the court on disputed issues. The attorney will meet with the parents and typically the children, as well as anyone else who may have relevant information including teachers, counselors, doctors, family members and public agencies.
If appointed as a guardian ad litem (aka “GAL”), the attorney will testify and/or submit a written report to the parties and the court regarding his or her recommendations relating to the children’s best interest based on the investigation conducted. The GAL may testify in court as a witness regarding the report and recommendations. If the court appoints a child representative, the attorney will advocate what he or she finds to be in the best interest of the children and will participate in the litigation the same way an attorney for a party does in the case. A child representative may not be called as a witness, but shall argue his or her position which shall be disclosed prior to trial. Although rarely utilized, the court may also appoint an attorney for a child, who represents the child and must advocate for the child’s wishes in the same way a parent’s attorney would advocate for the parent in a case.
Attorneys who are appointed to represent children receive special training in child advocacy and are required to maintain continuing education to continue being eligible for appointment by the Court.
Shana Vitek has exclusively been practicing family law since 2003 in Cook and Lake County. She has repeatedly been selected for inclusion on the Super Lawyers Rising Stars List, a designation reserved for only 2.5% of the lawyers in Illinois, and in 2013 was named one of the “Top 40 Illinois Attorneys Under 40 to Watch” by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin. She is a trained mediator and a fellow of the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois. She currently resides in the suburbs of Chicago with her husband, Eric, their daughter, son and two dogs.
Jessica Boike has exclusively been practicing family law since 2007 in Cook, DuPage, Will, and Lake County and obtained her mediation certificate from the Center for Conflict and Resolution. She has repeatedly been selected for inclusion on the Emerging Lawyer List, a designation given to fewer than 2% of the attorneys in Illinois and on the Super Lawyers Rising Stars List, a designation reserved for only 2.5% of the lawyers in Illinois. In 2018 she was named one of the “Top 40 Illinois Attorneys Under 40 to Watch” by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin. In addition, Ms. Boike has been named a Super Lawyer in 2018 and 2019, a peer designation awarded only to a select number of accomplished attorneys in each state. Ms. Boike also currently resides in the suburbs of Chicago with her husband, Justin, their daughter, son, and two dogs.
Jessica Boike ; Partner JLBoike@beermannlaw.com
Shana Vitek ;Partner SLVitek@beermannlaw.com
