Parental Responsibilities Lawyers Serving DuPage County
Whether you are married to the other parent of your child and are seeking a divorce, or you have never been married, the allocation of parental responsibilities is a sensitive issue that often causes a great deal of stress and anxiety. The DuPage County child custody lawyers at Andrew Cores Family Law Group strive to ease the uncertainty and strong emotions that these type of matters often involve.
At Andrew Cores Family Law Group, we take the time to explain our clients' options and the approach that may be used in seeking a resolution to the matter, such as mediation or collaborative law. Contact us to discuss your child custody case with a knowledgeable family law attorney.
Keeping the Best Interests of Your Children at Heart
There are many factors that affect the way in which parental responsibilites are allocated between the parents, but most important is the best interests of the children. We encourage our clients to keep this factor in mind while pursuing the establishment of a parenting time/visitation plan or parenting agreement.
In most cases, an evaluation takes place in which a psychologist is asked to analyze the child's life and determine the best way for parental responsibilities to be divided or shared. This information, combined with testimony from both parents and the judge's input, will develop into a custodial or parenting agreement detailing matters such as:
- Where the children will reside at specific times (known as parenting time)
- Decision-making authority regarding medical care, religion, school, etc.
- Shared decision-making authority with one parent having full residential responsibilities
- Sole decision-making authority by one parent with both parents having reasonable amounts of parenting time
Ideally, parents will be able to work together to create a parenting plan that will meet their family's needs and protect their children's best interests. When negotiating agreements or working to resolve disputes in the courtroom, parents will need to understand the factors that may affect child custody decisions. Our attorneys can provide guidance on how these issues may be resolved, including whether it may be necessary to appoint a guardian ad litem or child custody evaluator to help the court make decisions about how parenting time and parental responsibilities will be allocated.
A Parenting Agreement Is Not Set in Stone
Although we will work toward your desired outcome in a child custody case, there are times when every wish will not be met. A parenting plan or agreement is somewhat flexible. It can be modified as your child's life progresses and circumstances change for you, your ex-spouse, or your child. We can help you determine when modificaitons may be possible, including in situations involving parental relocation. Enforcement actions are also applicable if one parent fails to live up to his or her obligations.
Contact Our DuPage County Child Custody Lawyers
Contact an attorney at Andrew Cores Family Law Group by calling 630-407-1225. We can help you understand your rights under the Illinois parental responisbilities laws. We have helped many clients located in DuPage County, Kane County, Will County, and Kendall County.
