Moms’ Rights Divorce Attorneys Chicago

Moms’ Rights Divorce Attorneys Chicago

If you are going through a divorce that involves children – or you otherwise have parenting or child support concerns – you’re going through a very trying time. If you’re a mom, you face your own unique concerns, and ensuring that your parental rights are well protected is critical. An important point to keep in mind is that you are not alone – an experienced moms’ rights divorce attorney in Chicago can help. 

The Tender Years Doctrine

It used to be that mothers almost routinely became the primary custodial parents, and the kids had a standard visitation schedule with their fathers. This was a function of society at the time, and the philosophy backing it up was called the tender years doctrine (or the maternal presumption) – meaning that children, during their tender years – needed their mothers first and foremost. This kind of thinking has fallen by the wayside, which leaves many mothers concerned regarding how to protect their parental rights regarding child custody, which is referred to as entry of an allocation judgment for parenting time and parental responsibility in Illinois. 

The Court’s Position

If you go before the court regarding a parenting issue, its decisions are always focused on what it considers the best interests of your children. Custody is not a term used in Illinois any longer but instead is an entry of an allocation judgment that incorporates both parenting time and decision making.  Illinois is divided into what used to be called legal custody (now called parental responsibilities) – which relates to who makes important decisions on behalf of the children – and what used to be called physical custody (now called parenting time) – which relates to how you and your ex split your time with your shared children. 

Decision making as it relates to parenting issues can be either sole or joint, and sole decision-making means that one parent takes on the parental responsibilities to make the major decisions about medical, religion, extracurricular and education. While joint decision-making means that parents share in the decision-making process.

Your Rights as a Mother

In the past, fathers typically did not become the primary custodial parents unless they could prove that the mother was unfit in some capacity, but those days are gone.

An Experienced Moms’ Rights Divorce Attorney in Chicago Can Help

If you’re a mother who has parenting concerns, the accomplished moms’ rights divorce attorneys at WARD FAMILY LAW in Chicago have the brand of focused attention to mothers’ rights that you are looking for. For more information about what we can do to help you, please don’t wait to contact us today.