Posts Categorized: Child Custody

Illinois first allowed marijuana for medical reasons through legislation enacted in 2013 and followed up this effort by legalizing marijuana for recreational use in May 2019. Though the most recent statute doesn’t become effective until January 2020, Crain’s Chicago Business has already predicted that revenue from recreational-use marijuana is expected to top $1.6 billion in the state.   Another issue regarding legal marijuana may come as a shock to anyone going through child custody pr...   Read more ...  

In 2015, the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act was amended to acknowledge the realities that parents in today’s world face. One of the most significant changes was the deletion of the terms “custody” and “visitation” to refer to the decision making responsibilities of parents and the time a parent spends with his or her child in the context of divorce. It was replaced with the terms “parental responsibilities” and “parenting time” in an effort to acknowledg...   Read more ...  

In the years after an Illinois court issues an order on child support, it is quite common for a change to take place. In fact, if your children were young at the time of its entry, you may request a higher amount at some point. Illinois’ statute on modification of child support provides reasons that justify an increase: A substantial change in circumstances, such as your child is spending more time with you than under a previous parenting schedule; or, A discrepancy between what you are recei...   Read more ...  

A lot goes into determining the right parenting time schedule for a child when his or her parents’ divorce. The goal of creating a parenting time arrangement is to meet all of the child’s needs: physical, emotional, academic, and social. The court also recognizes the importance that a child spend time with both of his or her parents when making this decision. However, how much time a child spends with each parent is determined by examining a specific set of factors (See 750 ILCS 5/602.7(...   Read more ...  

A study recently published in the American Psychology Association’s journal of Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, found children 2 years old and younger benefited from spending equal time and having overnights with both mom and dad when their parents were not together. I’m writing about this study only to report its findings. One should not infer that I support or disagree with the study. However, this new information may run counter to many people’s beliefs in regard to the best parentin...   Read more ...