Child Custody Lawyer in Naperville

The city which provides Great Service All the Time, according to the official motto, is one of the most diverse communities in Chicagoland, from a demographic and geographic standpoint. Naperville has one of the largest Asian communities in Illinois. Furthermore, Naperville consists of a half-dozen townships located in two different counties.

At SLG Family Law, our Naperville child custody lawyers believe that this diversity strengthens us. However, such diversity can also be an issue in a child custody proceeding. So, we work hard to find cost-effective, long-lasting solutions which uphold the best interests of your children and also respect your legal and financial rights.

Initial Determinations

Most good parents agree on broad principles, like putting the best interests of their children first. However, most good parents disagree about the nuts and bolts of child custody. “Best interests” means different things to different people in different contexts. So, Illinois law sets out a number of factors to follow, such as:

• Status Quo: Divorce causes significant emotional upheaval. Therefore, consistency for the children is usually best, wherever that consistency can be found. Therefore, if the current informal parenting time division is mostly working, most DuPage County judges would rather not change it.
• Child’s Relationship with Step-Relatives: Not all blended families get along seamlessly like The Brady Bunch. If a relationship threatens a child’s physical safety or emotional development, this issue could be a parenting time consideration. This factor is usually more important in subsequent modifications than in original determinations.
• Child’s Preference: Some people think this factor is decisive, but the truth is far different. Many children do not express a preference. They understandably do not want to choose sides. Other parents manipulate their children into making a choice. In all situations, the judge always has the final word.
• Parents’ Preference: Some parents express their preference directly. They want to be with the children as much as possible or they would rather be weekend parents. There is nothing inherently wrong with either desire. Other parents expressed their preference indirectly during the marriage. If Husband was the primary caregiver before, he would probably be a good primary caregiver after the divorce.

Any agreements between the parties are important as well. Most judges approve most agreed parenting time divisions, as long as they jive with most of the law’s factors.

Subsequent Modifications

Emotional distance, in one form or another, almost always causes divorce. Similarly, distance also changes these factors and triggers the need to modify the divorce paperwork.

It is always important to get all changes in writing, even if they are seemingly insignificant. Informal side agreements are unenforceable in Will County family law courts. So, unless the change is part of the official record, one parent can unilaterally change it, and the other parent has no legal recourse.

The aforementioned distance could be emotional. Some children feel closer to one parent or another one. If this change is permanent, a parenting time modification, up to a change in custody, might be appropriate.

Distance could also be physical. In Chicagoland, even a relatively short-distance move could completely upset the delicate pick-up and drop-off balance. So, it is usually necessary to adjust the parenting time division to account for these changes.

Rely on an Experienced Attorney

Child custody decisions must be in the best interests of the children. For a free consultation with an experienced Naperville child custody lawyer, contact SLG Family Law. We routinely handle matters throughout Chicagoland.