On January 1, 2016, the most sweeping changes to Illinois family law in decades went into effect as the legislature amended major portions of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. Attorneys are still grappling with how the law will affect divorce and child custody cases filed in the new year in DuPage County, but it has already become apparent that a few procedural issues still need to be addressed.

Old Approach Left Much Uncertain 

Illinois courts have always tried to put children first in divorce cases by encouraging judges to award primary custody in the best interests of the child. However, this has never been an easy task in the early stages of divorce proceedings while the parties are hammering out the details of custody.

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One of the major changes to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act that went into effect on January 1, 2016, addresses not only how the law refers to child custody and visitation, but also to how parental responsibilities are to be shared between the parents.

A Shift in Thinking

Under the previous law, parents may have had joint custody or one parent may have had sole custody with the other parent granted visitation rights. The parent with sole custody was responsible for making most or all of the major decisions regarding the child’s life unless the parents had agreed otherwise on some issues. With the new changes taking effect, a parent may be allocated decision-making power over one or more of four primary areas of responsibility. However, the court does not have to allocate both parents such authority. The judge’s allocation of decision-making responsibilities to a parent is still based on the familiar standard of the child’s best interest. A judge’s allocation of these responsibilities, however, only happens if the parents do not have an agreement in place as to how these decisions will be made.

The four main decision-making areas that may be allocated by a judge as per the new changes include:

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As a divorced or single parent, you understand how challenging it can be to provide all the things your child needs to thrive. In an ideal situation, your child’s other parent would also be committed to helping, both financially and as an active participant in the child’s life. But what happens when you want to pursue opportunities that would force you to relocate to a new city or state with your child? Do you have the right to simply pick up and move? As with most issues of family law and coparenting, the answer depends on the circumstances of your particular situation.

Changing Approach

For many years, the laws in Illinois were fairly subjective about moving with your child. While there was no specific prohibition or distance limitations for an in-state move, if the move presented major obstacles to an existing custody or visitation order, it could potentially be challenged in court. An out-of-state move with a child subject to a custody or visitation order statutorily required the other parent’s consent or an overriding court order.

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The circumstances surrounding a family separating in divorce are bound to change over time. As a result, one or both parties to the divorce may later seek to change the orders that set custody and visitation. Both child custody and visitation can get modified in a child’s best interest when a party requesting modification can show that circumstances have changed significantly since the initial order was entered.

Former spouses may initially seek to try to come to a mutually agreeable agreement with regards to custody in order to avoid the courts. This may be a good approach, especially if the parents are on good terms.  Any agreements the parties finalize are entered with the court to solidify it as the new custody or visitation agreement.

Generally, orders affecting child custody and visitation are not modified until two years from the order setting the custody and visitation. However, a parent who can show that keeping the order in place would negatively affect the mental, emotional, and physical health of the child may be able to get modification of an order in a shorter amount of time. Parents can also mutually agree to seek modification in less time. When seeking modification after the two-year period, the parent seeking the modification also has to prove that there are changes in circumstances, and that these changes affect the best interests of the child.

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Court ordered visitations after a court decides a custody issue is supposed to be made on the same basis as the custody issue; that is, visitation should be awarded if it is in the best interest of the child. However, even if the court finds that visitation is in the best interest of the child, it may also find that the visitation should be supervised.

Following changes to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage law that took effect on January 1, 2016, Illinois courts will now refer to visitation as parenting time. Parents are usually encouraged to work out issues relating to their children before presenting an agreement to the court. In cases where the parties cannot agree, the court may make determinations regarding parenting time. In making this determination, both parents are presumed to be fit parents, and limitations on parenting time are not to be placed unless the court finds that granting parenting time will seriously endanger the child’s physical, mental, moral, or emotional health. The court may also consider how the parenting time would impact a child’s emotional development.

It is important to note that the court is not allowed to consider a parent’s conduct in deciding whether or not to grant parenting time, unless that conduct is in direct relation to the child. Therefore, it is possible that accusations of abuse towards the other parent, that are not alleged to have been towards the child or witnessed by the child, may not bar the alleged abuser from being granted parenting time.

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