Civil Union

Honoring Every Family Structure & Carrying on a Historic Legacy.

Illinois law provides distinct protections and frameworks for civil unions, from initial formation to dissolution. We provide inclusive, dedicated counsel to safeguard the rights, property, and parental statuses of civil-union partners. True to our philosophy of treating every client like family, we ensure your union, or its dissolution, is handled with the highest level of legal excellence, personal respect, and meticulous attention to detail.

Our firm carries a unique and historic connection to this specific area of law.

• A Living Tradition

  In 2011, partner Ava Touloupakis worked directly alongside Craig B. Hammond, who practiced family and matrimonial law in Chicago since 1979 through her firm, Craig B. Hammond, Ltd.

• The Groundbreaking Case

  Following the enactment of the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act in 2011, Craig B. Hammond represented a party in a historic, first-of-its-kind case involving one of the very first civil union dissolution cases in Illinois.

• Lasting Legal Impact

  Because civil unions were entirely new to Illinois law at the time, Ava's foundational work alongside Craig on this case helped establish early legal precedents for how the state handles property division, support, and dissolution procedures for LGBTQ+ couples outside of traditional marriage.

• An Endearing Legacy

  Craig B. Hammond passed away in 2016, leaving behind an endearing legal and personal legacy. Having explicitly highlighted “Civil Union Law” as a core concentration in her credentials, her trailblazing spirit lives on today. At Touloupakis Aguirre LLC, we proudly carry on this deep tradition of expertise, ensuring your rights are protected by a firm that helped shape the law from day one.