Custody Attorney Chicago

Custody Attorney Chicago

Every divorce matter is fraught with emotion, but custody matters are often more so. Custody concerns can also arise outside of marriage, after divorce or establishment of parentage, and the need for custody modifications as time passes is not uncommon. If you are up against a custody issue, turn to an experienced custody attorney in Chicago for the professional legal guidance that you need. As you may or may not know, child Custody is now known in Illinois as parental responsibility in terms of an allocation of parenting time and decision-making being outlined in an allocation judgment.  The term Custody is no longer utilized in the practice of parenting time and decision-making for parents in Illinois.

Parental Responsibility

In the State of Illinois, the law addresses parental responsibilities through decision-making and parenting time (physical custody). Parental responsibility refers to who will be making important decisions regarding your children as you move forward, including decisions about the following:

• Their ongoing education
• Their medical care
• Their religious upbringing
• Their extracurriculars

You and your children’s other parent can share this decision-making power (making important decisions on behalf of your children together), one of you can take on the full responsibility, or you can divide this responsibility according to the kinds of decisions being made. The everyday decisions that parents must make on a regular basis are left to the parent who is responsible for the children at the time they come up. 

Parenting Time

Physical custody is called parenting time in Illinois, and it refers to how you and your children’s other parent divide your parenting schedule. Some parents devise elaborate schedules that allow them to split their time fairly evenly – in accordance with their own scheduling complications. Often, however, one parent will have more time with the minor children than the other and overnights are a key consideration. 

Sole Custody vs. Joint Custody

In Illinois, sole custody and joint custody are no longer terms that are utilized.  Many parents hope to obtain sole custody of their children – often without being clear of the legal meaning. In Illinois, sole custody can be interpreted to mean when one parent takes on the decision-making responsibility on his or her own. When parents share joint custody, it it can be interpreted to mean that they share in decision-making on key components such as religion, extracurricular, medical, and education.  As far as parenting time is concerned, that outlines which parent has the minor children on what days each week. 

Parenting Order Modifications

The parenting arrangements you negotiated (or the court provided for you) when your children were much younger – and your schedules revolved around them – may no longer be relevant. Further, major life events, such as a career advancement that leads to a job elsewhere, can make even the most careful parenting arrangements challenging. In this case, you might be able to agree to a parenting modification, relocation or petition of the court for a wide variety of requests related to changes. 

You Need an Experienced Custody Attorney in Chicago on Your Side

The custody attorneys at WARD FAMILY LAW in Chicago understand the significant weight that every parenting concern bears and are committed to skillfully advocating for your case’s most favorable resolution. For more information about how we can help you, please don’t wait to contact us today.