Arlington Heights Child Custody Attorneys

The State of Illinois addresses matters related to child custody in terms of both parental responsibilities and parenting time, which correlate with legal and physical custody. If you and your children’s other parent are divorcing, are no longer together, or need a post-divorce child custody modification, our experienced Arlington Heights child custody attorneys can help. 

Making Important Decisions on Behalf of Your Children

Every parent is tasked with regularly making a wide range of decisions on behalf of their children. While some of these decisions are the work of a minute, others set the course for your children’s upbringing, and these are addressed by parental responsibilities. The kinds of decisions covered by legal custody or parental responsibilities in Illinois include: 

• Where your children make their primary home
• Your children’s schooling
• Your children’s healthcare
• Your children’s religious education
• Your children’s travel and participation in extracurricular activities

These are the central decisions that shape your children’s lives, and you and your child’s other parent may join forces to make them, or one of you may be awarded sole parental responsibilities. Sometimes, parents share this legal custody, but one parent has the ability to break a tie when a mutually agreeable decision cannot be reached. Additionally, this decision-making authority may be divided between you according to the category of decision that needs to be made. By working with skilled Arlington Heights child custody attorneys, you can reach an agreement that best suits the unique needs of your family.  

Dividing Your Time with Your Children

Parenting time in Illinois is generally calculated in terms of overnights with the kids. If one of you has the children with you for the majority of overnights, that parent is the primary custodial parent. The other option is splitting the overnights more evenly. If you and your ex are able to hammer out a schedule that works for your family and that you are both prepared to sign off on, the court will almost certainly incorporate your schedule into your final divorce orders. If not, however, the court will likely provide you with one of its standard parenting time options, and it will make its decisions based on factors such as the following: 

• Each parent’s preference and each child’s – when the child is mature enough to voice an informed preference
• You, your spouse, and your children’s mental and physical health, including any extraordinary concerns
• Each of your children’s unique needs, including any special needs they may have
• The degree to which each parent participated in raising your children to date
• How well each of your children has adapted to their current living situation, including their home, their school or daycare, and their community
• Your commitment and ability to continue fostering a close relationship between your children and their other parent, and your divorcing spouse’s commitment and ability to do the same
• And other factors the court considers relevant to your case 

Our Experienced Arlington Heights Child Custody Attorneys Are Here to Help

The seasoned Arlington Heights child custody attorneys at SLG Family Law take great pride in their impressive track record of zealously protecting the parental rights of clients like you. We’re here for you, too, so please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information or to request a consultation today.