In any paternity matter or divorce involving children, the protection of the children is a parent’s top priority. As of January 1, 2016, the concept of custody is no longer recognized under Illinois law and has, instead, been replaced by new terminology called the allocation of parental responsibilities and parenting time.
The allocation of parental responsibilities concerns specific decisions regarding how the children will be raised. Parents are given decision-making responsibilities for the children involving issues such as education, healthcare, religion, and extracurricular activities.
The allocation of parenting time concerns the creation of a parenting plan that promotes both parents’ relationships with the children as much as possible and provides parenting rules for both parties. A parenting schedule will generally include provisions regarding parenting time during the school year, school breaks, holidays, and vacations.
Under Illinois law, decisions involving the allocation of parental responsibilities and parenting time are to be made with the children’s best interests in mind. Jennifer L. Lavin, P.C. works to create parenting plans that maintain as much stability as possible for my clients’ children while maximizing my clients’ abilities to cultivate close and loving relationships with their children. Please contact me at (312) 919-8857 to schedule a complimentary consultation to discuss the possible resolution of your parenting issues.