Johnson, Joseph M.

Joseph Sparacino is a native of Chicago and earned his Juris Doctorate from John Marshall Law School. He's admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Illinois and the U.S. Court for the Central District of Illinois.

Prior to joining the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, Ltd., Mr. Sparacino worked for a nationwide law firm in Peoria where he was Managing Attorney. Mr. Sparacino then went on to start his own private practice where he successfully represented clients in contested divorce, paternity, juvenile and domestic violence cases. While being based in Cook County, he's successfully handled many intricate and complex support, visitation and custody matters in counties throughout the state of Illinois including LaSalle, Stephenson and Hancock.

Mr. Sparacino's vast legal experience encompasses worker's compensation, personal injury, traffic/DUI law, probate, real estate, consumer fraud/UCC litigation, bankruptcy and defending clients in juvenile and criminal cases. Family law, however, has always been his primary focus and passion. With more than 20 years experience practicing law in Illinois, he has a highly respected reputation throughout the state as a skilled and clever litigator. He is intuitive and has a keen sense of reading witnesses on cross examination.

Mr. Sparacino achieves only the best and most favorable results possible for his clients and their families. He always goes above and beyond to preserve the father-child relationship whenever and wherever it is threatened. Mr. Sparacino resides in Utica, Illinois where he has served as the General Counsel to the Utica Fire and Ambulance District. He counseled the district in the planning and construction of a new firehouse and ambulance station after a devastating tornado destroyed them in 2004.

Since 2005, Mr. Sparacino has been a regular lecturer at the Fatherhood Educational Institute's Fatherhood Symposium at Malcolm X College running workshops for fathers on all issues related to custody, visitation, support and property.

In 2012, he presented for the U.S. Department of Education and the White House Office of Faith-based & Neighborhood Partnerships' Strong Fathers, Strong Families, Strong Schools Forum on maintaining and strengthening parent-child relationships.  Sparacino lectured and educated lawyers, fathers and other attendees on winning tactics, preemptive strikes, and top legal maneuvers in divorce and relationship conflict.

CASE VICTORIES:

• Succeeded in obtaining emergency custody for an unmarried father of his six-year-old son after the boy's mother got in a bar fight with her own mother. After being granted permanent custody, the unmarried father returned with his son to his home in Minnesota where they now both live.
• Obtained custody for an unmarried father of his now two-year-old daughter. The girl's mother was trying to remove the child from the father, who has been her primary care giver for her entire life. The two-year-old daughter is now safe and back with her father.
• Always working relentlessly, Mr. Sparacino secured an order of protection for a father within an hour after his wife allegedly stalked and attacked him while he was at work. The father and his 11-year-old daughter are now safe in their own home.