Orland Park Child Custody Lawyer

The matter of child custody in Illinois can arise with divorce, in relation to post-decree modifications, or outside of marriage and divorce entirely, and because your parental rights are on the line, the stakes are high. If you are faced with a child custody concern, look no further than an experienced Orland Park child custody lawyer.

Child Custody in Illinois

In Illinois, what you may think of as legal custody – or decision-making authority in relation to your children – is addressed as parental responsibilities. And the matter of physical custody is addressed in terms of parenting time, which sets the schedule that determines how both parents will divide their time with their children. Parental responsibilities assign the authority to make central parenting decisions such as the following:

• Decisions about your children’s education
• Decisions about your children’s medical care 
• Decisions about your children’s extracurriculars
• Decisions about your children’s religious education

While your parenting time schedule may be unique to you and your family’s circumstances, it will fall into one of two basic categories, including:

• Dividing your overnights between both of you evenly
• Assigning the role of primary custodial parent to one of you

The Factors Involved

If you and your children’s other parent are unable to resolve the matters of parental responsibilities and parenting time between yourselves, the court will intervene on your behalf, and the factors it will take into careful consideration include all the following:

• Your preference on the matter and your spouse’s preference
• Each of your children’s preference on the matter (if the court considers the child mature enough to reasonably give voice to their preference)
• Each party’s overall physical and mental health – paying special attention to any extraordinary concerns on the part of either parent or any child
• Each child’s unique needs in terms of care and attention, including any special needs
• Each parent’s ability to provide the children with the care and attention they need
• The degree to which each child has adjusted to their current home, school, and community 
• Your level of commitment and ability to support your children’s health and ongoing relationship with their other parent and your ex’s level of commitment to do the same
• Each parent’s commitment to openly communicating and cooperating with the other parent in relation to raising your shared children
• Anything else the court considers pertinent to your child custody case

You Need the Skilled Legal Guidance of an Experienced Orland Park Child Custody Lawyer on Your Side

Child custody concerns are primary parenting concerns, and having professional legal counsel on your side is always well advised. The trusted Orland Park child custody lawyers at SLG Family Law in Orland Park have an impressive track record of successfully protecting the parental rights of clients like you, and we’re proud to be here for you, too. Your case is important, and we’re on your side – so please don’t put off contacting us for more information about how we can help today.