Illinois law no longer officially uses the term "child custody." Instead, it recognizes two concepts: "parenting time" and "parental responsibilities." These two aspects of parenting are separate, but they interact with each other. In this blog post, we'll give a...
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Five ways to defend against a child custody modification
Although a child custody arrangement might seem like it’s going okay, you can suddenly and unexpectedly be hit with a modification request, filed by your child’s other parent. This motion can feel like a punch to the gut, threatening to reduce or even eliminate the...
What is “parenting time” according to Illinois family laws?
Divorce can affect children the most, which is why courts always prioritize their best interests when making decisions regarding child custody. Illinois has done away with the term custody. Instead, the state uses the term “parental responsibilities” to cover a broad...
Can you request custody modification before the two-year limit?
In Illinois, you can only seek custody modification two years after the court has issued the original order. This rule is meant to allow time to see if the custody arrangement works well for your situation. Additionally, it prevents unnecessary and repetitive...
How parental drug and alcohol abuse hurts children
Sharing custody of your child can be stressful, especially when you don’t have strong communication with the other parent. You might worry about what goes on at the other parent’s house, and how that home environment affects your child’s safety and well-being....
Things you should know about parent relocation in Illinois
To maintain the parent-child relationship, many separating parents create a parenting plan. This plan specifies each parent’s responsibilities and schedules with the child. One common schedule is where the nonprimary parent visits the child during weekends. This kind...
Why you need a parenting plan before the divorce is final
Maybe you and your co-parent are doing a “trial separation” to spend some time apart before you decide whether to divorce. Maybe you’re going through the divorce process, but it’s taking some time, which is not uncommon. Either way, if you’re living apart and sharing...
Is your custody arrangement outdated?
Ideally, you and your co-parent will have managed to negotiate a custody arrangement which was then signed off on by the courts. If not, then the court will have stepped in and drafted a custody order based on the best interests of the child. In any event, the final...
Can birdnesting work for you and your ex?
Birdnesting may be a viable option if you and your ex-spouse are still friendly after your divorce. This approach allows children to stay in the same home while their parents rotate living there on a temporary basis. Here's what you need to know about this...
Co-parenting requires significant cooperation
Parents divorcing means that they need to consider what’s happening with the children. This often means they need to focus solely on how things will affect the children. The things that led to their split can’t play a role in any decision they make. As co-parents,...