Chicago Parental Allocation Lawyer

Chicago Parental Allocation Lawyer

Parental allocation in the State of Illinois refers to the allocation of parental responsibilities (including decision-making and parenting time), which are the terms the state uses instead of the old terminology for child custody. If you are facing a divorce or have child custody concerns outside of marriage, it’s time to consult with an experienced Chicago parental allocation lawyer. 

The Allocation of Parental Responsibilities

When parents divorce – or are no longer together (if they were never married, to begin with) – what was previously known as child custody arrangements must be determined, and in Illinois, these are now addressed in terms of parental responsibilities which includes both decision-making and parenting time. Decision-making can be either sole or joint, and better understanding your rights to make decisions pertaining to your child or children can help you better understand your overall parental rights moving forward. 

Parental Responsibilities

Parental responsibilities include both parenting time and decision-making.  In regards to decision-making, parental responsibilities determine who will be making the major parenting decisions that guide your children’s lives, such as those that involve the following:

• Where your children go to school or daycare
• Your children’s participation in extracurricular activities
• Your children’s healthcare needs
• Your children’s religious instruction
• Safety concerns related to your children 

You and your children’s other parent have the following options when it comes to this aspect of parental responsibilities:

• You can make the decisions together.
• One of you can make the decisions on your own.
• You can divide the decisions between you according to the kind of decision that needs to be made. 

Those routine decisions that parents make on a regular basis, however, are typically left to the parent who has the children at the time. These routine decisions typically include items like dinner options and day-to-day routines within a parent’s home.

Parenting Time

Parenting time in the State of Illinois determines when the children are with you and when they are with their other parent. The two basic divisions of parenting time include the kids living with one parent primarily (while the parents still set forth a schedule for both parents) or the kids dividing their time more evenly between both parents, which also requires a specific schedule in regards to allocation of parenting time. 

Determinative Factors

When Illinois makes decisions that directly affect children, it bases them on the best interest of the children. Some of the many factors that go into these determinations in terms of parental responsibilities: decision-making and parenting time include:

• The relationship each parent has forged with each child
• How well each child has adapted to his or her current home situation, school, and community 
• Each parent’s willingness and capacity to encourage a deep, ongoing relationship between each child and the other parent
• Each parent’s willingness and capacity to engage in cooperative decision-making with the other parent
• Each parent’s preferences and each child’s preferences (if the child has the maturity and is old enough to weigh in on the matter)

Reach Out to an Experienced Chicago Parental Allocation Lawyer Today

The practiced Chicago parental allocation lawyers at WARD FAMILY LAW in Chicago have considerable experience successfully protecting the parental rights of clients like you – in pursuit of favorable case resolutions. For more information about how we can help you, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.