One of the most critical issues a divorcing couple has to come to an agreement on is child custody, referred to as the allocation of parental responsibilities under Illinois law. While some couples are able to work together to come up with a custody and parenting plan that they both agree on, the relationships of many other couples have broken down so irretrievably that they cannot agree on anything.

Having a seasoned Illinois family lawyer advocating for you and negotiating on your behalf can be crucial to ensuring that your parental rights are protected. The following are some of the issues that should be addressed in your child custody order.

Ask most people who have been involved in a divorce with children and they will probably agree that issues over child custody were the most difficult and contentious part of the divorce. Unfortunately, child custody issues do not always settle down once the divorce process is complete. Many divorced couples often continue disagreeing over parenting issues and it is not uncommon for one or both parents to file for child custody modification.

However, there appears to be one legal loophole some parents of teenagers are using that not only crushes any further child custody hearings, but likely causes emotional harm to that child in the long-term – consenting to the teen getting married.

Several years ago, there was a major overhaul to Illinois family law statutes. This included the statute that addressed child custody. Part of that change involved eliminating the phrase child custody and replacing it with the phrase “allocation of parental responsibilities.” When parents are splitting up, they must either come to an agreement – or the court will decide for them – about which parent is responsible for making certain decisions for the child, including which religion the child will be brought up in.

How Family Law Impacts Religious Upbringing

It can be difficult to choose a religion for a child. This is particularly true if parents go through the divorce process when a child is young and has not yet begun partaking in a certain religion. Religion can also be difficult in a divorced family when a child grows up and becomes more involved in a religion. For instance, religion may play a role in where a child attends school. Religious activities and events may also interfere with parenting time.

If you are a parent, your children are probably a top priority in your divorce. You may be well aware of the profound impact divorce often has on children and want to ensure that you do whatever you can to minimize your kids’ suffering. You may hold strong opinions about the child custody arrangements that are best for your kids after a divorce. What happens if these opinions differ from the other parent’s opinions? How are child custody disputes handled in Illinois?

Child Custody Laws in Illinois

In Illinois, child custody is now referred to as “parental responsibilities” and “parenting time.” Parental responsibilities primarily include the parents’ authority to make major child-related decisions. Parents may decide that one parent is in charge of the child’s education, extracurriculars, religious training, and other important matters, or the parents may share decision-making responsibility. Parenting time, which used to be called “visitation,” is the time that a child spends in the care of each parent. Parents are asked to complete a parenting plan that describes how parental responsibilities, parenting time, and other important matters will be handled. The parenting plan is submitted to the court for approval. However, some parents cannot reach an agreement on child custody concerns on their own.

Domestic battery charges in Illinois are often pursued very aggressively. Depending on the conditions of the situation, it is possible that severe charges can result. In addition to potential fines and prison time, individuals convicted of domestic battery may also see changes to their parental rights. If you have been charged with domestic battery, it is important to work with an experienced criminal defense attorney in order to protect your rights.

Domestic Battery in Illinois

Domestic battery offenses affect a wide scale of families every year. In the state of Illinois, an individual commits domestic battery if he or she knowingly without legal justification: