Category Archives: Child Custody
Visitation Rights of Grandparents in Illinois
Depending on the family dynamics, grandparents may find themselves at the mercy of the parents of the grandchildren in question when it comes to the issue of visitation. Under Illinois law, grandparents have a limited right to request court-ordered visitation privileges with their grandchildren. State law also recognizes a parent’s fundamental right to the final decisions regarding how and where their children are raised and who may have access to them while they are minors. From a legal standpoint, however, the rights of both parents and grandparents are always viewed in tandem with what is in the best interest of the child. Situations do arise in which the best interest of the child may need to be decided by a family court.
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Exercising Your Right of First Refusal
When a couple who has children together decides to get divorced, they will need to develop a parenting plan. A parenting plan is a document which outlines each parent’s rights and responsibilities regarding the child and serves as the cornerstone on which the couple’s ongoing co-parenting relationships will be built. According to Illinois law there are more than a dozen considerations that must be addressed in a parenting plan including things like the child’s permanent address for the purposes of school enrollment and a parenting time schedule for each parent. There are other, optional elements that can be included in a parenting plan as well, including the right of first refusal. If your parenting plan provides you with the right of first refusal, it is important to understand what that means.
How Far Is Too Far to Move With Your Child?
If you are a divorced, separated, or unmarried parent, you probably realize how important it is for your child to maintain a healthy relationship with his or her other parent. There are exceptions, of course, including situations in which the other parent is completely absent, negligent, or, worst of all, abusive. Following your divorce or breakup, you and the other parent most likely managed to come to an agreement regarding your child, granting each of you certain rights and responsibilities. What happens, though, when you decide that you want to move out of the area with your child? Do you have the right to do so? Is it possible to move too far away?
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Tips for Healthy Co-Parenting
Being a parent is tough. Add divorce into the mix and things can become even more complicated. With parenting plans, child support, and custody issues to deal with, co-parenting can be stressful and challenging at times. It is a lot to handle, but millions of families successfully co-parent each year. How do they do it? Great co-parents are flexible, willing to set aside their differences, and most importantly, great co-parents put their children’s needs above their own. Below, check out a few tips to help you and your ex develop a healthy co-parenting relationship both you and your children will appreciate.
Types of Co-Parenting Relationships
Are you stuck in an unhappy marriage but worried about the impact a divorce could have on your children? You are not alone. Many parents remain in unhappy marriages to spare their children the pain of divorce. While this may seem like a noble choice, it is often misguided. In fact, in many cases, children fare far better with separated parents compared to married parents in an unhealthy relationship. Why is this?
How to Coparent with a Narcissist
If your ex spouse is a narcissist, that was likely one of the major reasons behind your divorce. While your marriage may be over, if children are involved, you and your ex have a responsibility to remain linked for the sake of your children. Coparenting with a narcissist can be challenging. If your ex is constantly seeking to antagonize you, belittle you, and rile you up, making parenting decisions together can be extremely difficult. While there is no magic trick that can make coparenting with a narcissist suddenly easier, there are a few tips and tricks you can employ to keep things smooth between the two of you.
Relocation: New Rules When a Custodial Parent Wants to Move
The Illinois legislature’s recent overhaul of the state’s child custody and divorce laws are far-reaching: even the state’s removal laws – what a custodial parent must do if he or she wishes to move with the child – are getting a makeover. Under the new laws, which went into effect on January 1, 2016, the term “removal” has been replaced with “relocation,” arguably in recognition that a move can be disruptive to the noncustodial parent’s visitation rights regardless of whether the move is in-state or out-of-state.
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The Changing Face of Legal Custody in Illinois
By now many Illinoisans are aware that, come January 1, 2016, family law in Illinois is getting a substantial makeover. “Legal custody” is one familiar legal principle that is being overhauled as part of the legislature’s expansive effort to have Illinois’s family and domestic relations law reflect twenty-first century realities. It remains to be seen, however, if the changes to how a court determines legal custody will benefit Illinois families or whether it will further complicate already-challenging custody determinations.
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Decisions Divorcing Parents of Teens Should Consider
There is never truly an “ideal” time to divorce: any time a couple chooses to divorce will involve the divorcing spouses having to make decisions about issues and matters that may or may not be relevant in another couple’s divorce. Parents who are divorcing and who have children planning to go to college in the near future are no different. Some of the issues relevant to divorcing couples with college-aged children include:
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Relocating with Your Child after an Illinois Divorce or Separation
Chances are good that at some point following an Illinois divorce or separation, one or both of the parents of a child will want to relocate. The relocation may be due to a job change or transfer, to start a new life with a new spouse or significant other, or simply because the moving parent feels the need for a “fresh start.” Whatever the reason for the proposed move, executing such a move is not as easy as simply packing up one’s belongings, even if the actual divorce is finalized. What steps does a parent need to accomplish in order to relocate following a divorce or child custody action?
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