Jonathan Steele - Family Law Attorney

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Jonathan Steele - Family Law Attorney Divorce, custody, parenting time and orders of protection for families in Chicago and the suburbs. Partner at Beermann LLP. In immediate danger, call 911.

Call (312) 621-4394 or request a callback at steelefamlaw.com/contact. What happens when you reach out: a conflict check first, then a callback from the intake desk, then a real conversation about where you are, what the law does with that, and what it costs. Nobody asks for your story until the conflict check clears, and nobody pitches you. If you have a court date within seven days or a safety concern, do not wait for a callback: call (312) 621-4394. Attorney advertising. Jonathan D. Steele, Beermann LLP, 161 N. Clark St., Ste. 3000, Chicago, IL 60601. Not legal advice.

A missing hoodie should not require 47 texts and two attorneys.Before this weekend’s exchange, check the plan, clarify a...
10/16/2026

A missing hoodie should not require 47 texts and two attorneys.

Before this weekend’s exchange, check the plan, clarify anything genuinely unclear, and pack what your child actually needs. Medication. Homework. Sports gear. The stuffed animal that apparently holds the entire household together.

Keep the handoff about the child—not the argument you didn’t finish on Tuesday.

And “tell your other parent…” is not a communication strategy. Let the adults handle the logistics so the kids can start their weekend.

What’s the one thing that ALWAYS gets left at the other house? Water bottle, hoodie, charger—or something more creative? Keep names and case details out of the comments.

General information, not legal advice. Follow your court order and consult your attorney about your circumstances.

Sometimes the hardest part of divorce isn’t losing a spouse. It’s losing the expectation that the spouse will always giv...
10/15/2026

Sometimes the hardest part of divorce isn’t losing a spouse. It’s losing the expectation that the spouse will always give in.

After 14 years in divorce law, I’ve seen this pattern: one person spends years saying “fine,” “whatever you want,” or “it’s not worth the argument.” What looks like peace is sometimes just one person absorbing the cost of avoiding conflict.

Then, after divorce, the answer changes.

“No. That doesn’t work for me.”

And suddenly, the person who always accommodated is called “difficult.” Not necessarily because the boundary is unreasonable—but because the old pressure no longer produces the old result.

Not every disagreement is manipulation. Cooperation still matters, especially when children are involved. Court orders still apply.

But cooperation and capitulation are not the same thing.

You can be respectful without being endlessly accommodating. You can consider a request without agreeing to it.

And sometimes, “you’ve changed” really means, “I’m no longer getting my way.”

General information, not legal advice. This post does not refer to any particular person or case.

What actually happens after you request a callback.Short version: a conflict check, a callback from the intake desk, the...
10/14/2026

What actually happens after you request a callback.

Short version: a conflict check, a callback from the intake desk, then a real conversation about where you are, what the law does with that, and what it costs. Nobody asks for the story until the conflict check clears, and nobody pitches you. If there's a court date within seven days or a safety concern, don't wait for a callback: call (312) 621-4394. In immediate danger, call 911.

Request a callback: https://steelefamlaw.com/contact?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=page&utm_content=featured

Attorney advertising · Jonathan D. Steele, Beermann LLP, 161 N. Clark St., Ste. 3000, Chicago, IL 60601 · Not legal advice.

A parent preparing for a custody conversation sat down and wrote out which school and medical decisions they had been ma...
10/13/2026

A parent preparing for a custody conversation sat down and wrote out which school and medical decisions they had been making alone over the past year. The list turned out longer than expected once extracurriculars and doctor visits were included. What helped you track who handled which parenting decisions before a family court discussion.



Attorney advertising by Jonathan D. Steele, Beermann LLP, 161 N. Clark St., Suite 3000, Chicago, IL 60601. Licensed in Illinois. Educational only — not legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by this post.

Your frustration may be valid. Your pickup text still needs an arrival time.“You’re late again. You clearly don’t respec...
10/12/2026

Your frustration may be valid. Your pickup text still needs an arrival time.

“You’re late again. You clearly don’t respect my time.”

Try:

“Pickup was scheduled for 5. Please send your estimated arrival time.”

The scheduled time stays. The accusation goes. The request gets specific.

A recurring problem can be addressed separately. For this message, focus on getting the information you need right now.

You can be direct without turning every pickup into a closing argument.

Save this for the next pickup text you want to keep focused.

Attorney advertising. Fictional example. General information only; not legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created.

A spouse preparing for a maintenance discussion sat down and separated recurring monthly expenses from one time purchase...
10/12/2026

A spouse preparing for a maintenance discussion sat down and separated recurring monthly expenses from one time purchases made during the marriage. That distinction can make a financial picture easier to explain in a family court setting. Have you found it helpful to organize expenses before a support conversation?



Attorney advertising by Jonathan D. Steele, Beermann LLP, 161 N. Clark St., Suite 3000, Chicago, IL 60601. Licensed in Illinois. Educational only — not legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by this post.

A parent heading into a parenting-time exchange started writing down pickup and drop-off times for the past month and re...
10/09/2026

A parent heading into a parenting-time exchange started writing down pickup and drop-off times for the past month and realized the actual pattern looked nothing like the written schedule. Comparing what happens in practice to what the court order says can highlight gaps worth discussing before they become a bigger issue. Keep a simple written log for a few weeks so any proposed changes reflect real routines, not guesses. Have you found that the paper schedule and daily reality tend to drift apart over time?



Attorney advertising by Jonathan D. Steele, Beermann LLP, 161 N. Clark St., Suite 3000, Chicago, IL 60601. Licensed in Illinois. Educational only — not legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by this post.

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161 North Clark Street, Suite 3000
Chicago, IL
60601

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