Child Custody Attorney Bolingbrook

Illinois Child Custody Lawyer Representing Clients in Bolingbrook

Whether you are anticipating a divorce with minor children from your marriage, or you share children with a partner and are considering a separation or ending the relationship, you will need to learn more about the child custody process in Illinois. The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (IMDMA) governs child custody matters in Illinois, and the IMDMA outlines the ways in which parental responsibilities can be allocated. Given that child custody cases can be contentious and complex, it is essential to work with an experienced child custody attorney Bolingbrook who can provide you with counsel throughout your case. 

Types of Bolingbrook Child Custody Cases Our Attorneys Handle

At Women’s Divorce & Family Law Group, we represent clients in a wide range of child custody matters in Bolingbrook, including but not limited to the following:

• Allocation of significant decision-making responsibilities;
• Allocation of parenting time;
• Understanding caretaking functions during parenting time;
• Best interests of the child factors under Illinois law;
• Creating a parenting plan to allocate parental responsibilities;
• Learning about how courts allocate parental responsibilities in an allocation judgment; and
• Modifications of parental responsibilities.

What is Child Custody in Bolingbrook?

Illinois law used to award child custody as sole custody or joint custody, including for both legal custody and physical custody. However, those terms are no longer used under Illinois law. Instead, the IMDMA now uses the language of “parental responsibilities” to describe the roles parents play in the lives of their minor children. Parental responsibilities are not awarded, but instead they are allocated based on what is in the best interests of the children. 

Parental responsibilities include significant decision-making responsibilities (similar to legal custody) and parenting time (similar to physical custody and visitation). During parenting time, parents provide day-to-day caretaking functions for the child, while having significant decision-making responsibilities typically involves making decisions about education, health care, and religion.

How Courts Allocate Parental Responsibilities in Bolingbrook

Parental responsibilities can be allocated in one of two ways:

• If the parents can reach an agreement about how to allocate significant decision-making responsibilities and/or parenting time and the agreement is in the best interests of the child, they can put that information in a parenting plan, and the court can incorporate it into a court order; or
• If the parents cannot reach an agreement about either form of parental responsibilities, or can only reach an agreement about either significant decision-making responsibilities or parenting time, then the court will allocate parental responsibilities in an allocation judgment based on what is in the best interests of the child.

The court considers a wide variety of “best interests” factors that are outlined in the IMDMA.

Contact a Bolingbrook Child Custody Attorney Today

If you are planning for a divorce or a separation and you share minor children with your partner, it is critical to learn more about child custody in Illinois and to begin working with an experienced Bolingbrook child custody lawyer. Our firm has years of experience representing clients in complex child custody proceedings, and we can begin assisting you today with your case. Contact Women’s Divorce & Family Law Group for more information about the services we provide.