Child Custody Attorney 60611

Child Custody Attorney 60611

Child custody determines who will be making major decisions on behalf of your children and your schedule with them, which makes it the linchpin of your parental rights. If you are facing a child custody concern, you shouldn’t wait to discuss the matter with an experienced child custody attorney in the 60611 zip. 

Child Custody Cases Are Common

Child custody in Illinois is addressed as parental responsibilities and parenting time. These cases are quite common, and they arise in all the following situations:

• When parents are divorcing 
• When parents’ circumstances change significantly, and they need a modification as a result 
• When parents who were never married break up and need to address the issue of child custody
• When paternity is established, and the father seeks parental responsibilities, parenting time, or both

Parental Responsibilities

Parental responsibilities assign the responsibility of making important parenting decisions moving forward, including decisions about the following:

• Where the children attend school
• Where the children live
• The health care the children receive 
• The religious education the children receive
• The extracurricular activities and travel the children participate in

One parent can have sole parental responsibilities, or they can be shared. 

Parenting Time

Parenting time assigns the schedule by which both parents divide their overnights with the kids and addresses other scheduling issues. One parent can become the primary custodial parent, which means the majority of overnights with the children go to them, or the schedule can be more balanced. 

The Court’s Role 

When parents are unable to resolve their child custody terms between themselves, the court looks to the children’s best interests to guide its decision-making process. The best interest factors turned to in these cases include the following:

• The preferences of each parent and of each child who is considered mature enough to be involved
• How well the children are doing in relation to their current living situation, including their home, school, and community
• Each child’s needs – including any special needs – and each parent’s ability to adequately address them
• Each parent’s commitment to encouraging an ongoing relationship between the children and their other parent
• How involved each parent has been in raising the children so far
• How close each parent’s relationship is with each child 
• The distance the parents live from one another and the expense and level of difficulty involved in sending the kids back and forth
• Each parent’s commitment to maintaining open communications with the other
• Whether there are any concerns related to child abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
• Any additional factors the court considers relevant to the case at hand

It’s Time to Consult with an Experienced Child Custody Attorney in the 60611 Zip Code

The accomplished child custody attorneys at WARD FAMILY LAW – proudly serving those in the 60611 zip-code area – dedicate their practice to skillfully championing the parental rights and responsibilities of valued clients like you. Your case is important, so please don’t wait to contact us for more information about how we can help you today.