Carl W. Gilmore
carl@woodstocklegal.com

My name is Carl W. Gilmore, and my practice began in McHenry County in 1994 upon my swearing in as an attorney.

Lawyers exist as a service to clients. This may sound simple, but too many cases end up with clients receiving little practical benefit in relation to the cost. My goal is to maximize your benefit. Legal cases are rarely inexpensive, but they can be cost-effective.

I work primarily in family law and litigation. My trial experience includes divorce, custody, criminal visitation interference, adoption, juvenile court defense, landlord-tenant, small claims prosecution and defense, probate and guardianship trials, business disputes and arbitration. In addition to advocacy at the trial level, I argued before Illinois Second District Appellate Court and successfully prosecuted and defended appeals at the appellate court level.

Since becoming an attorney, I wrote the book Illinois Parentage Law, served as president of the McHenry County Bar Association, and was named Illinois State Bar Association Young Lawyer of the Year - Downstate for 2000-2001. I currently teach legal research and writing in the paralegal program at College of Lake County, and I taught litigation in summer 2006.

In addition to my book on paternity issues, I wrote the paternity chapter for the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education's Causes of Action manual. I continue to work as an editor for the American Bar Association's "Family Advocate" magazine. One of my issues was a handbook for children in divorce.

Many of my cases currently involve acting as an attorney for children's interests. I am a certified guardian ad litem in Wisconsin courts as well as in the McHenry County court system, including adoptions and juvenile court. I represented children in both uncontested and contested adoptions, and I have lectured on juvenile and adoption court issues.

LICENSED in Illinois and Wisconsin.

Areas of Practice

Divorce, child custody, child support/alimony enforcement, adoption, parentage/paternity, juvenile court defense, landlord-tenant, small claims prosecution and defense, probate court trials, business disputes, arbitration, criminal visitation interference defense, appellate practice.

Memberships

McHenry County Bar Association, MCBA Family Law Section, State Bar of Wisconsin, Illinois State Bar Association, American Bar Association.

Education

University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, B.S. Journalism 1987 and
University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School.,J.D. 1994

Practice Areas

• General civil practice, including litigation, real estate and other areas.
• Concentration in family law, including adoption, divorce, custody and visitation, support, paternity determination and defense, and post-judgment enforcement.
• Approved guardian ad litem, Wisconsin family court.
• Approved child's representative, 19th Judicial Circuit.

Honors and Activities

• Instructor, Legal Research and Writing, College of Lake County paralegal program. Spring 2006, fall 2006.
• Instructor, Litigation, College of Lake County paralegal program. Summer 2006.
• President, McHenry County Bar Association, 2000-2001. Also served as vice president, secretary, and treasurer, 1997-2000.
• Illinois State Bar Association Young Lawyer of the Year, 2000.
• American Bar Association, Family Advocate magazine editorial board. Book review columnist.
• Illinois State Bar Association, Committee on Law-Related Education for the Public.
• Woodstock Morning Rotary Club. Secretary 1999-2001. President, 2004-2005.
• McHenry County American Cancer Society Board, 1998-2001.
• George H. Young Award for Service to the Legal Community, University of Wisconsin 1993.
• Chair, American Bar Association Family Law Section Adoption Committee, 2008-2010

Books

• Illinois Parentage Law, Illinois State Bar Association, February 2002.
• Illinois Causes of Action: Elements, Forms and Winning Tips: Parentage, January 2005.
• 1997 Wiley Family Update, Chapter 3, " Deconstructing Leases: Method and Critique of Lease Valuation in Divorce Proceedings."

Articles

• "Challenging DNA in Paternity Cases: Finding Weaknesses in an Evidentiary Goliath," 90 Illinois Bar Journal 472 (September 2002).
• "Understanding the Illinois Child's Representative Statute," 89 Illinois Bar Journal 458 (September 2001).
• "Independent Evidence: A New Tool for Paternity Cases," 86 Illinois Bar Journal 476 (September 1998).
• "Post-Eckert Trends in Child Removal," 84 Illinois Bar Journal 76 (February 1996).
• "Valuation of Leases as Property in Divorce Proceedings," 9 American Journal of Family Law 191 (Winter 1995).
• "Those Priceless Experts," 22 Family Advocate 26 (Fall 1999).

Editor

• My Parents are Getting Divorced, Family Advocate, Summer 2006.
• Meeting the Needs of 21st Century Clients, Family Advocate, Fall 2004.
• What Your Children Need Now, Family Advocate, Summer 2003.
• The Federalization of Family Law, Family Advocate, Spring 2001.
• Collecting Your Fee, Family Advocate, Fall 1999.
• Exotic Discovery, Family Advocate, Spring 1998.
• Lexis/Nexis Publishing: Disputed Parentage Proceedings consulting attorney.

Lectures

• Illinois State Bar Association
  Adoption Update: March 2003.
  
  
• McHenry County Bar Association
  Legislation and Case Law Update: 1997.
  Independent Evidence in Paternity Cases: 1998.
  Overview of the New Juvenile Court Act: 1999.
  Attorney's Fees Under the Leveling the Playing Field Act: 2000.
  
  
• Illinois State Bar Association Annual Meeting
  Family Law Update, Summer 1998: Independent Evidence in Paternity Cases.
  
  
• University of Wisconsin Legal Assistance Program
  Summer 1999: Panelist, Family Law discussion.
  
  
• McHenry County College
  Spring 1997: Paternity law series for the general public

Published Cases

In Re GLG, 718 N. E. 2d 360, 307 Ill.App.3d 953, 240 Ill.Dec. 879 (2d Dist. 1999). Overturned adverse trial ruling following an adoption trial. The appeals court held the ruling was "contrary to the manifest weight of the evidence" and the father was proved unfit by "clear and convincing evidence."