Chicago Child Custody Attorney

Assisting Clients With Child Custody Matters in Hinsdale, Cook County, DuPage County, Will County, and Kane County

There is no issue as contentious or one more likely to drain your emotions as a child custody battle (known in courts as an allocation of parental responsibilities). So before you begin, you need an objective assessment of your strengths and weaknesses. You need a family law team in Chicago that will give you honest advice and good cost-benefit analysis. And you need a team that has the "know-how" to get you across the finish line.

At Reed, Centracchio & Associates, LLC, our Chicago child custody attorneys have a track record of turning "unwinnable" child custody cases into victories. Some of our most outstanding child custody achievements have started with clients already accused and outwardly judged of heinous acts they did not commit. Yet, by listening to our clients, getting to the truth, and planning our strategy, our child custody lawyers turned cases nobody wanted into points where our clients won child custody.

Facing a child custody issue? Reach out to our family law firm to set up a free consultation with one of our child custody attorneys. 

How is Child Custody Determined in Illinois?

Chicago courts no longer use the word “custody” and instead focus on these two categories:

1. Parenting Time, which refers to where the child resides on a day-to-day basis; 

2. Allocation of Parental Responsibilities, which gives a parent the authority to make big life decisions about how the child will be raised, such as those concerning education, religion, medical care, extra curriculars and alike. 

The right to have parental responsibilities for decision making can be awarded on a joint or sole custody basis. 

You and your spouse have the right to determine child custody arrangements on your own or through negotiation. This involves creating a parenting plan that sets forth each parent’s custody rights and responsibilities. If you are unable to agree on a plan, mediation may be ordered by the court, in which you work out a plan with the help of a certified mediator. When mediation fails, the matter will go to court, where a judge will make the final decision. 

What are the Types of Custody in Illinois?

In Illinois, there are two primary types of custody: legal custody and physical custody. When parents separate or divorce, these custody arrangements determine their rights and responsibilities.

• Legal Custody: Legal custody refers to the authority to make significant decisions about a child's life, including education, healthcare, religion, and extracurricular activities. In Illinois, legal custody can be either joint or sole:
  • Joint Legal Custody: Both parents share decision-making responsibilities, requiring them to cooperate and communicate about important aspects of their child's upbringing.
  • Sole Legal Custody: One parent has the exclusive right to make major decisions for the child. The other parent may still have visitation rights but does not have a say in critical decisions.
• Physical Custody: Physical custody determines where the child lives and the day-to-day care they receive. Like legal custody, physical custody can also be joint or sole:
  • Joint Physical Custody: The child spends significant time living with both parents, though not necessarily an equal amount. The parents may establish a schedule to share parenting time.
  • Sole Physical Custody: The child resides primarily with one parent, known as the custodial parent. The non-custodial parent typically has visitation rights, allowing them to spend time with the child according to a schedule.
• Combination of Custody Types:
  • There are times when one parent is granted sole physical custody while the other is granted sole legal custody or in other cases, one parent may be granted sole physical custody as well as sole legal custody.

In Illinois, custody decisions are made based on the best interests of the child, considering factors such as the parents' ability to cooperate, the child's needs, and the parents' living arrangements. Providing a stable and supportive environment for the child while fostering ongoing relationships between both parents is the goal of the courts.

What Do Judges Look For in Child Custody Cases in Illinois?

In child custody cases, Illinois judges base their decisions on what they consider to be in the child’s best interests.

They will review many circumstantial factors when ruling on this matter, including the child’s needs, the child’s relationships with both parents, the proximity factor between the two households, how the arrangements will affect the child’s daycare or schooling, and more. 

What Are the Benefits Of Choosing Mediation?

When it comes to child custody cases, many parents prefer to avoid the stress, expense, and potential hostility of going to court. Mediation offers a more collaborative and peaceful approach to resolving custody disputes.

Benefits of choosing mediation include:

• Control over the outcome: With mediation, you and the other parent have the opportunity to work together and create a custody agreement that meets the unique needs of your family.
• Reduced conflict: Mediation encourages open communication and cooperation, helping to minimize conflict and promote a healthier co-parenting relationship.
• Cost-effective: Mediation is often more affordable than going to court, as it typically requires fewer legal fees and takes less time to reach a resolution.
• Confidentiality: Mediation sessions are private and confidential, allowing you to discuss sensitive matters without the fear of public exposure.
• Preservation of parent-child relationship: By focusing on the best interests of the child, mediation aims to maintain and strengthen the parent-child relationship, promoting stability and emotional well-being.

If you are interested in exploring mediation as an alternative to litigation for your child custody case, our experienced Chicago child custody attorneys at Reed, Centracchio & Associates can guide you through the process and help you achieve a fair and mutually beneficial agreement.

Contact Our Chicago Child Custody Lawyer Today

Our divorce lawyers serving Chicago bring extensive experience to your child custody case. In addition to this, Managing Partner Nicole Centracchio is frequently appointed by judges to represent children in court as a guardian ad litem or child’s representative family law attorney. Putting children first and maintaining a good reputation for honesty and diligence benefits our clients in our work, both inside and outside the courtroom.

No matter how good the team, instances occur when the facts do not support a move for child custody, at least at the present time. Clients deserve honest advice on this issue, irrespective of what they may want to hear. To that end, our child custody lawyers give you our candid opinions on the strengths and weaknesses of your case. Other firms often allow clients to maintain unlikely visions of victory. Eventually, those dreams burst, but only after much money and mental anguish have been spent. Our Chicago family law firm believes that timing in custody is important and that "know-how" often means "know-when."

For a Free Case Consultation From Our Child Custody Lawyers Serving Chicago, Call (312) 500-8344 or Contact Us Online.