Long Grove Child Custody Attorney

In the past, divorced parents were required to abide by child custody orders, court orders that outlined their visitation time and decision-making rights regarding their children. Today, this is still the case, but the terminology has changed. Visitation is now known as parenting time, and decision-making rights are officially known as parental responsibilities.

If you are a parent considering or currently working through a divorce, start educating yourself about parenting time and the other concepts you will face now. By understanding how the court determines parenting time and parental responsibilities, you can discuss them productively and advocate for yourself and your child more effectively. Arrange for a consultation with the team of child custody attorneys in Long Grove.

How Illinois Courts Create Child Custody Orders

The courts create child custody orders according to what they determine to be in children’s best interests. To determine the breakdown of parenting time and parental responsibilities that would benefit a child most, the court gathers data about the child’s needs and the parents’ lifestyles. In doing so, it aims to answer the following questions:

• What is each parent’s financial capacity to provide for the child?
• What is the child’s relationship with each parent?
• How important is it to maintain the child’s current environment and routine?
• What are the child’s academic, medical, psychological and physical needs?
• Which parent provides the majority of the child’s day-to-day care, like helping with homework and interacting with teachers? and
• How willing is each parent to comply with court orders and cooperate with the other parent?

Your Rights and Obligations as a Parent

As a parent, you have certain legal rights regarding your child. You are also bound to certain legal obligations related to his or her care and support.

Your rights include:

• The right to spend time with your child according to your parenting time order
• The right to make decisions on your child’s behalf as per your parenting plan
• The right to seek modifications to your parenting plan
• The right to pursue child support or modify a child support order
• When appropriate, the right to relocate with your child. This may be subject to court approval.

Your obligations are fairly similar to these rights and include your obligation to comply with your parenting plan, to support your former spouse’s parenting of your child, and to make child support payments according to your child support order. If you are accused of failing to meet your obligations, if you feel your former spouse is not meeting his or her obligations, or if you feel you need to assert your right to pursue a modification to your visitation plan, an experienced family lawyer is your best advocate.

Work with an Experienced Long Grove Child Custody Attorney

When you are facing issues related to parenting time or other aspects of your child custody order, work with an experienced family lawyer who can help you navigate this tricky legal area. Get started with our firm today by contacting The Andrea Heckman Law to schedule your initial legal consultation.