Chicago Parenting Time Attorney

Chicago Family Lawyer for Visitation and Parenting Schedules in Chicago, IL

In a divorce that involves minor children, you and your spouse will have many important decisions to make regarding the allocation of parental responsibilities, and perhaps the one that will affect your life the most on a day-to-day basis is the creation of a parenting time schedule. It is never easy to adjust to the fact that your children may be spending significant time apart from you, but with the right approach to your parenting plan, you can create a schedule that protects their best interests.

At The Law Offices of George J. Skuros, we can assist with the initial creation of a parenting time schedule, as well as a variety of other legal issues related to parenting time. We take the time to answer your questions, understand your priorities, and maintain regular communication with you throughout your case. Drawing from more than 30 years of experience, we will provide you with the best possible legal representation to help you achieve your desired outcome.

Considerations in a Parenting Time Schedule

The process of creating a parenting time schedule during your divorce can have a significant impact on your ability to effectively co-parent with your spouse in the future. In most cases, an Illinois family court will give serious consideration to an agreement presented by both parents, and this may be your best chance of reaching a resolution that meets both parents' needs. In your schedule, you should address the days that your children will spend with each parent throughout the week on a regular basis, as well as how you will transport your children between the two homes. You should also address how parenting time will be shared on special occasions including holidays, birthdays, and school breaks.

When making a final judgment on parenting time, the court will usually prioritize an arrangement that grants significant time to both parents, but this does not mean that the time will be exactly equal. The specifics of the plan will be judged according to your children's best interests, based on factors that include:

• Your children's needs and how those may be met in both households
• Your children's adjustment to their current home, school, and community and the effect of dividing time between homes on their current routines
• The prior involvement of each parent in the children's lives and caretaking responsibilities
• The wishes of you and your spouse and your demonstrated willingness and ability to cooperate as co-parents
• Your children's preferences, accounting for the children's maturity and understanding of the situation

We can help you make the case, either in negotiations with your spouse or in court, that your preferences regarding parenting time will best serve your children's interests.

Other Legal Issues Related to Parenting Time

In addition to your parenting time schedule, we can assist with several other legal issues that may arise related to parenting time, including:

• The right of first refusal: Many parenting agreements include a provision that if one parent needs to arrange for child care during his or her scheduled parenting time, the other parent has the first opportunity to provide that care.
• Restricted or supervised parenting time: In cases in which a parent has a history of domestic violence, substance abuse, or other behavior that could put the children at risk, it may be important to make the case for limitations on that parent's time and communication with the child, or restrictions such as the requirement of third-party supervision or prohibitions on drug and alcohol use during parenting time.
• Relocation: If you plan to move with your children more than 25 miles away from your home in Cook County or the surrounding counties, you will need to obtain court approval, and you will likely need to update your parenting time schedule to account for the increased distance.
• Enforcement and modification: After your divorce, we can help you petition for enforcement of your parenting time agreement when the other parent fails to follow it. We can also help you pursue a modification to the agreement when a change in your circumstances makes the original agreement difficult to uphold.

Contact an Arlington Heights Parenting Time Lawyer

Protecting your children's interests is an important part of the divorce process, and we can help you to do so through the parenting time schedule and other custody arrangements. For a free consultation regarding parenting time or other divorce and family law matters, contact us today at 312-884-1222. We serve clients in Chicago, Arlington Heights, Des Plaines, Mount Prospect, Park Ridge, Inverness, Schaumburg, the North Shore, and throughout Cook County and the surrounding areas.