Child Custody Lawyers Chicago

Child Custody Lawyers Chicago

If you are facing a divorce that involves children, need a child custody modification, or need to resolve a child custody concern outside of marriage, protecting your parental rights is paramount. Because child custody cases tend to be emotionally fraught and legally challenging, it’s in your best interest to reach out to experienced child custody lawyers in Chicago today.

Parental Responsibility

Legal custody is termed parental responsibilities in the State of Illinois, and it refers to the responsibility of making primary decisions on behalf of your children that guide matters such as the following:

• Their schooling
• Their health care
• Their religious education
• Their extracurricular activities and travel
• Their primary residence

You and their other parent can continue making these decisions together after your breakup, but other legal options include:

• One of you having sole legal custody and making these big-picture parenting decisions on your own
• Both of you dividing the decision-making responsibility between you according to the category of decision that needs to be made
• One of you retaining the authority to break a tie if your efforts to come to a mutual decision ultimately fail

Each parent is called upon to make those everyday decisions that seem to crop up around the clock when children are involved, and any emergency decisions are the responsibility of the parent who is available at the time.

Parenting Time

Physical custody determines the parenting time schedule by which you and your ex will divide your time with your shared children. It is important to understand that Illinois courts are motivated by the best interests of the children involved, and as such, the starting position of the judge handling your case is to maximize your and your ex’s time with the kids. The two basic legal options when it comes to parenting time schedules include the following:

• One parent becomes the primary custodial parent and provides the children with their primary home.
• Both parents share their time with the kids more evenly. 

If you and your children’s other parent can find common ground and devise a parenting time schedule that works for both of you, there are few limitations regarding your options. If not, however, you’ll need the court to provide you with a schedule, and you can expect to receive one of its standard versions.

Best Interest Factors

Some of the factors the court turns to in determining the best interests of the children as they relate to parenting time schedules include:

• The preferences of each parent and each child (if mature enough to offer one)
• How well the current living arrangements are working for the children
• How involved each parent is in the children’s lives
• How capable each parent is of providing the children with what they need

Reach Out for the Professional Legal Guidance of Experienced Child Custody Lawyers in Chicago Today

The trusted child custody lawyers at Hammer Serna & Quinn in Chicago take great pride in their impressive track record of successfully guiding challenging cases like yours toward advantageous outcomes. We are here to help, so please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information today.