Aurora, IL Allocation of Parental Responsibilities Lawyers

Skilled Attorneys Helping Parents Address Legal Custody in Aurora, Illinois

If you are a parent who is in the midst of a divorce, you are probably concerned about how your children will be affected. If you are an unmarried parent who has separated from your partner, you are likely to have concerns about your children's future as well. You undoubtedly want what is best for your children, but you should also take steps to ensure that your rights are protected. Your children mean everything to you, and you would probably do almost anything to help them.

Attorney Matthew M. Williams and the team at The Law Office of Matthew M. Williams, P.C. provide trusted guidance and skilled representation for divorcing parents in Kane County, Kendall County, DuPage County, and throughout Northern Illinois. With over 20 years of experience in family law matters, we have found that children tend to fare best in the wake of a divorce when both parents remain actively involved in their lives. With that in mind, we will work hard to help you create parenting arrangements designed to give your children what they need while serving your best interests as a parent.

Allocating Parental Responsibilities

Several years ago, sweeping reforms to the family law statutes in Illinois amended the state's approach to child custody, which is now called the "allocation of parental responsibilities." The change was intended to reduce the competitive nature of custody disputes that often turned into bitter battles between divorcing parents. Under the current approach taken in family courts in Illinois, each parent may be allocated a share or portion of parental responsibilities instead of "winning" custody or "losing" it.

There are two basic categories of parental responsibilities under Illinois law. The first is the authority to make certain types of important decisions about the child's life, and the second is each parent's parenting time. Important decision-making authority addresses how each parent will participate in making significant choices regarding the child, such as those related to healthcare, education, participation in religious activities, and children's extracurricular activities.

Formerly called visitation, parenting time is the term used to describe the time that each parent will spend with a child, either at their home or in other locations. Under the law in Illinois, both parents have the right to reasonable parenting time, unless a parent is found to present a danger to the child. The law is not precise on what constitutes "reasonable parenting time," and parents have the freedom to develop parenting time schedules that meet their unique needs.

Legal Counsel for Sole and Joint Parenting Arrangements

Since Illinois now refers to child custody as the "allocation of parental responsibilities," the terms "joint custody" and "sole custody" are no longer used by the courts, although these terms may still be used by parents as they address issues related to their children. It is possible for sole authority for important decision-making to be granted to just one parent. However, in most cases, both parents will share decision-making authority.

Significant decision-making responsibilities can be divided in a variety of ways. For example, a parenting plan could give the final say on all important decisions to one parent, but they may be required to consult with the other parent to ensure that they have a role in the decision-making process.

In other cases, one parent may have the right to make all decisions without having to discuss them with the other parent, or each parent could be assigned decision-making authority in different areas of the child's life. When deciding on the terms of a parenting plan, parents can put arrangements in place that will best serve their children's needs. At The Law Office of Matthew M. Williams, P.C., we can provide guidance, working with our clients to achieve solutions that will provide for their families' ongoing success.

Contact Our Aurora Allocation of Parental Responsibility Attorneys

For more information about legal issues affecting parents and children in family law cases, we encourage you to reach out to The Law Office of Matthew M. Williams, P.C.. We can provide the legal help and representation you need as you work to resolve concerns related to the custody of your children. Contact our Aurora, IL child custody lawyers at 630-409-8184 to schedule a free, confidential consultation today.