Illinois Child Custody and Visitation

Whether You Are in Chicago, Naperville, Joliet, Aurora, or a Surrounding Community — Our DuPage County Child Custody Attorneys Can Help

The divorce attorneys at The Law Office of J. Patrick Nelson, PC have extensive experience in handling child custody and visitation issues. Contact us to schedule an initial consultation to discuss your case.

Child Custody/Parental Responsibilities

One the most litigated issue in a divorce is child custody. The term "child custody" and "visitation" has been eliminated from the statute and replaced with the concept of parental responsibilities and parenting time. Parental responsibility disputes are often lengthy, costly and emotionally difficult. As such, every Illinois county has established an educational program which must be attended by both parents. The educational program addresses the subjects of parenting time, parental responsibilities, co-parenting, communicating and the impact of these issues on children. The educational program must be completed as soon as possible.

In ascertaining what will happen with parental responsibilities and parenting time, the court will ascertain what is in the best interest of the children. See 750 ILCS 602.5. The best interest standard requires the courts to consider many factors such as the health of the parents, the physical safety and welfare of the child, the development of the child, the child’s background and ties, the child’s sense of adjustments, the least disruptive placement, and the child’s wishes and long-term goals.

Ordinarily, parents make decisions about their children jointly, However, some parents are not able to communicate with each other which often creates more conflict. Issues related to children can be broken down into two important issues: How will the parties make decisions for their children and how much time will each parent spend with their children after they are separated?

The court also requires both parents attempt to mediate their custody dispute with a court approved mediator in an attempt to amicably resolve their differences with respect to their children. Mediation is an informal and non-adversarial process of discussing your parenting differences with your spouse with a court approved mediator. The role of the mediator is to assist the parties in identifying issues, explaining settlement alternatives, problem solving and reaching agreements. Parties are required to mediate in good faith; however, there is no requirement that the parties reach an agreement. Mediation is often useful in solving custody disputes and is substantially less costly than litigation.

In the event a settlement agreement is not reached after mediation, the court may appoint an evaluator or a Guardian Ad Litem to assess what is in the best interest of the minor children. Custody evaluations are typically performed by a psychiatrist who will conduct a serious of interviews and tests in order to ascertain what is in the best interest of the children. The evaluation process may consist of up to 30 hours in length and the parties will be required to pay a retainer, as ordered by the court. The hourly rate of the evaluator is set by the court and the cost of the evaluation is usually in excess of $8,000.00 to $10,000.00 which does not include the time expended for testifying in court as a witness.

Visitation/Parenting Time

A parent not awarded the parental responsibilities of a child is entitled to reasonable parenting time unless the court finds that parenting time would endanger seriously the child’s physical, mental, moral or emotional health. See 750 ILCS 5/602.7 .Illinois courts rarely deny parenting time to a parent since it has been determined that it is harmful to a child not to have contact or access with both parents.

Contact an Illinois Child Custody Attorney

The Law Office of J. Patrick Nelson, PC's divorce and child custody attorneys work with our clients to understand Illinois child custody laws and to advocate for the interests of you and your children. Based in Wheaton, we work with clients in DuPage County, Kane County, Will County, and throughout Chicago's western suburbs. Contact us for a complimentary initial consultation — call 630-480-4280, email info@jpatricknelsonlaw.com, or complete our online information form.