Gauthier Family Law Child Allocation Of Parental Responsibilities
If you’re like most parents, the hardest part of getting divorced is worrying about how it will affect your children and your relationship with them. While divorce is difficult for the whole family, kids can be surprisingly resilient. And in most cases, there are things you can do to ease the negative impacts of divorce and to ensure that your children stay happy and healthy.
At Gauthier Family Law, our primary concern is the well-being of our clients and their children. We work to preserve your relationship with your children, to protect them against abusive parents and to ensure that the custody agreement accurately reflects their best interests as well as your own.
An Overview Of Child Custody In Illinois
Like most states, Illinois distinguishes between physical and legal custody. Physical custody refers to where the child lives most of the time, and is also known as residential placement. Legal custody has to do with the right of each parent to make major decisions on behalf of their children (medical issues, religious training, schooling, etc.). These two types of custody do not need to be (and often aren’t) awarded in an identical manner.
There is a nationwide trend toward keeping both parents involved in a child’s life whenever possible. Illinois law recognizes that maximum dual-parent involvement is often in a child’s best interests, but there is no statutory language favoring or presuming joint custody. Each case is decided on its own merits, and in the best interests of your children.
Our Services
Gauthier Family Law is a full-service family law firm. No matter what child custody matter you are facing, attorney Michael Gauthier can help. We regularly assist clients with the following issues (and more):
- Seeking sole decision making (sole custody)
- Seeking joint decision making (joint custody)
- Understanding parenting time (visitation)
- Paternity and custody rights
- Child custody for unmarried parents
- Petitions related to child removal and relocation
- Petitions to modify court orders, including modifying custody, parenting time and child support
You Have Questions. We Have Answers.
Located in Vernon Hills, Gauthier Family Law serves clients throughout Lake County and McHenry County. To discuss your child custody questions with an experienced lawyer in a free consultation, call us at 847-327-0898, or fill out our online contact form.