Child Custody & Parenting Time

A divorce can change your relationship with your children. When you and your ex share custody, it naturally means that you will spend less time with the kids. When you are together with them, your focus is likely on building a strong relationship in every possible way...

Many circumstances can keep a parent away from a child. While these situations might be voluntary, there are times, such as military deployments, that aren’t. No matter what kept the parent away from the child, it is up to the parent who is with the child to help make...

The family courts in Illinois try to take a holistic approach to decisions about the custody of children between unmarried or divorcing parents. In fact, the courts don't typically use the term "custody" anymore, preferring instead to refer to the "allocation of...

It is common to have concerns about the future, such as how you’ll raise your children together post-divorce. Co-parenting can challenge you in many aspects, but you shouldn’t back down. Below you will find advice that you can follow to maintain a positive and healthy...

The new House Bill 185 has the same goal as House Bill 4113. Currently, there is a movement among divorced parents, which is seeking to change the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, and give both parents equal parenting time. Of course, the final...

As this blog has discussed previously, whenever an Illinois court is deciding how to allocate parental responsibilities, the paramount concern will be what is in the child's best interests. In order to determine a child's best interests, a court will look to a number...

It is easy to lose sight of the big picture in the midst of a separation or divorce. Raw feelings of anger, disappointment, and sadness can leave men and women itching for a fight and taking every opportunity to talk about what a poor spouse their ex was during the...