Interfaith marriages are increasingly common in the U.S. and in Illinois. As more people enter into interfaith relationships and marriages, the number of interfaith divorces and custody disputes also increases.

Religious disputes are also common between former spouses who belong to different denominations of the same religion, or between divorcing parents who have different levels of involvement with their faiths, whether they practice the same religion or not. In some cases, religious differences may even have been a factor for couples deciding whether to move forward with divorce proceedings.

If you are involved in a divorce or custody dispute and anticipate that religion may become a hot-button issue in your divorce, one of our experienced family law attorneys can help you prepare to address these difficult matters in court, mediation, or negotiation with your child's other parent.

Most states, including Illinois, consider the best interest of the child as the primary factor in deciding matters related to the child or children in divorce proceedings, child custody cases, child support, and even paternity. But, what is actually considered to be the best interest of the child can vary from state to state. If you are involved in a divorce, custody fight, or other legal matter involving your child or children, our firm's experienced family law attorneys can help you. We can assist you in determining what the best interests of your child may be, what factors the court will consider in making decisions related to your child, and how best to demonstrate to the court what you believe is in your child's best interest.

What Factors Will the Court Consider when Deciding Best Interest of a Child in Illinois?

Unlike some states, Illinois law is fairly specific when it comes to stating the factors considered in deciding a child's best interest. The law sets forth more than a dozen factors to examine, including:

In the past - and, unfortunately, at times still today - the courts have traditionally favored mothers when it comes to deciding which parent should be granted primary custody, or whether fathers can share equally in both parenting time and the right to make important decisions about their children's lives.

Illinois has made strides in recent years towards recognizing that fathers play just as important a caretaking role as mothers do and deserve equal treatment when it comes to custody decisions. Our experienced parental responsibilities lawyers believe strongly that neither parent should - based solely on his or her gender - have a right to an automatic presumption of custody.

Rather, the court should consider the best interest of the child, the existing relationship between a child and each of his or her parents, the stability of a parent's home environment, and the type of support each parent provides the child, including financial, physical, emotional, and educational support, among other factors.

One parent's relocation can significantly impact a parenting plan. If you have a parenting plan in place and you are considering relocation, or you learn that your child's other parent is planning to relocate, you will need the help of an experienced family law attorney in Illinois.

Factors Considered by Court for Relocation

There are several factors the court will consider when deciding for or against relocation when a parenting plan is in place. The court will look at how the current arrangement will be affected and whether similar or comparably fair division of parenting time will be feasible if the relocation occurs.

There are a lot of feelings that come along with divorce. Depending your situation, you may feel relieved or even excited. You might also feel angry or resentful toward your former spouse. All of these feelings are perfectly natural when ending your relationship, and working through them is part of the process of moving on from a relationship.

However, sometimes parents let their negative feelings toward a former spouse affect how they talk about an ex to their children. Depending on the nature of the comments, these statements might amount to parental alienation.

What Is Parental Alienation in Illinois?