Aurora, IL Child Custody Attorney

Aiding Clients in Kendall County, DuPage County, and DeKalb County

Parenting plans, which address the allocation of parental responsibilities (formerly known as child custody) and parenting time (formerly known as visitation), are determined by the court in the best interests of the child(ren). When determining best interest, a court will look at:

• Frequent, continuing and meaningful relationship with both parents
• The ability and willingness of parents to meet a child's needs
• The child's relationship with parents
• Mental and physical health of all parties involved
• A child's wishes (depending on the age of the child)

If parents agree on the allocation of parental responsibilities and parenting time, that agreement becomes the final arrangement. If parties cannot agree, the court refers parents to mediation. If mediation is still unsuccessful, the court may then appoint a guardian ad litem or child representative, or the family can work with a court-approved custody evaluator. In any case, the assigned official will evaluate a family's situation to try to fully understand and act in the child's best interest.

If one of these officials is appointed (guardian ad litem, child representative, custody evaluator, psychiatrist, psychologist, etc.), the parties will usually end up paying thousands of dollars. As such, it is critical to try to collaboratively work if at all possible.

Issues can be complex, emotional, and hotly disputed, but a resolution where both parties are happy is possible. Also, once a decision is reached, it can always be modified in the future. Even the allocation of parental responsibilities for the primary residential parent can be changed under certain circumstances.

I am here to bring more than a decade of experience to help you resolve them, regardless of complexity.

Kendall County Visitation Lawyer

Because I have worked as a child advocate for abused and neglected children, I bring sensitivity and compassion to work on these issues. Combined with my experience in the local courts, I am prepared to help you ideally resolve any custody or visitation issue.

It is important to note that in most cases parents share major decision-making rights of a child. Children typically reside with an individual parent (the primary residential parent), and the nonresidential parent receives a certain amount of allocated parenting time. That said, every case and family is unique. I am ready to take my experience to work to reach a resolution that ideally works for yours.

To schedule a consultation to discuss parenting time and child custody with Aurora child custody attorney Matthew M. Williams, call 630-409-8184 or e-mail the Law Office of Matthew M. Williams, P.C.