Veteran Chicago Divorce Lawyer Anthony D'Agostino Saves Child

CHICAGO, Dec. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Veteran litigator, Anthony D'Agostino of the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, Ltd., navigated a complex paternity case this week whereby the court awarded possession of a 12 year-old girl to D'Agostino's client, the unwed father.  The court also awarded an injunctive order preventing the mother from removing the child from the father's care and custody. A hard-fought victory like this keeps hope alive for unmarried fathers everywhere.

"Initially, the judge was hesitant to award possession of the child to the unwed father but Attorney D'Agostino simply did not give up and presented allegations of the potential harm to the child to the court. Anthony's tenacity won an important decision," commented Attorney Jeffery Leving (http://dadsrights.com).

According to allegations in court documents, the mother "abuses drugs and alcohol" and the child's "well-being is in jeopardy and subject to great endangerment."

"If Anthony wasn't persistent in his advocacy in addressing the court's objections, the order would not have been entered and this child would likely have been in danger or worse," added Leving.

This family court victory is a positive step towards recognizing the rights of unwed fathers and reflects the reality of today's shifting social demographics as nearly 33% of all U.S. births are out-of-wedlock.  Children of unwed fathers should never be disadvantaged due to any failings in our justice system as father absence can have devastating effects on children.

Fatherless children are more likely to drop out of high school and less likely to attend college. In fact, girls from father-absent families are more likely to become sexually active at a younger age and to have a child outside of marriage which perpetuates the cycle creating more at-risk children.

The courts must always recognize the rights of unwed fathers to safeguard the best interests of their children.

For more information contact Jennifer Whiteside at 312-296-3666.

SOURCE The Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, Ltd.