Chicago Child Custody Lawyers

Chicago Child Custody Lawyers

Of all the areas of family law, child custody cases can be some of the most emotional and challenging for all parties involved. As Chicago child custody lawyers, we have witnessed the impact that contentious battles can have on children and their parents. As such, we work diligently to achieve the best results for you and your children.

What is Parental Responsibility?

In Illinois, the law uses the terms “allocation of parental responsibilities” and “parental responsibility” in place of “child custody.” There are two overarching types of parental responsibility under this law: decision-making responsibility and parenting time.

The law specifies four types of decision-making responsibilities: extra-curricular activities, education, religion, and health. The courts may allocate these responsibilities in several ways:

• One parent has all the responsibilities, similar to sole legal custody in other states
• The parents split each responsibility and must make decisions together
• Each parent takes on some responsibilities completely, but not others

An example of the last option may be if one parent is a doctor and takes on the health decision-making responsibility while the other parent has the other three responsibilities.

Parenting time is the more straightforward aspect of parental responsibility. This term refers to any time in which the parent is providing caretaking functions for the child, similar to physical custody in other states. Parents may split parenting time 50/50. On the other hand, one parent could take the majority of the parenting time while the other has occasional visitation.

How Courts Decide on Parental Responsibility

In many cases, parents and their legal representatives come to agreements on parental responsibility through mediation and negotiation. We try to aim for this outcome whenever possible in order to save you time, stress, and money. However, we know that sometimes finding an agreement in this way is not possible.

When an agreement cannot be reached, the case goes to trial in a family court. The judge must then decide what arrangement is in the best interest of the child. In order to determine the child’s best interest, judges consider factors such as:

• What the child wants
• The mental and physical wellness of all involved parties
• The child’s current well-being in their current home, community, and school
• Any abuse or other criminal activity in the family
• Whether parents can cooperate with one another
• Each parent’s ability to support the parent-child relationship with the other parent

If your case goes to trial, it will be absolutely vital to have authoritative, determined, and respected attorneys to represent your case in court.

Hire the Top Chicago Child Custody Lawyers

Every family is unique and needs its own custody arrangement. With the latest laws in Illinois, determining the best child custody arrangement for your family can be complex. That’s why it’s vital to hire the top Chicago child custody lawyers to represent your interests and help your children.

At WARD FAMILY LAW, LLC, we know that defending your family is a major responsibility, and we want you to feel comfortable with us. That’s why we offer free consultations in which you can decide if we are the right fit for you. Contact us today to set up your appointment.