Wheaton, Illinois Child Custody and Visitation Lawyers

Allocation of Parental Responsibilities and Parenting Time Attorneys in DuPage County

Stock, Carlson & Asso. LLC represents clients throughout northern Illinois in DuPage, Kane, Cook, and Lake County who are seeking legal help regarding any family law matter, including resolving disputes involving the allocation of parental responsibilities and parenting time.

Child custody is one of the issues at the heart of many divorces, and it can be one of the most contentious areas of disagreement. These disputes can have an impact on the entire family, and in some cases, long-term emotional damage is done to the child while parents fight to determine how they will share or divide responsibility for their children. Whatever the case may be, if parents cannot reach an agreement in these matters, the family court will make a decision as to what is in the best interests of the child.

Our attorneys possess the knowledge and practicality to help resolve disputes between divorcing parents. We are trained in mediation and arbitration, in addition to being well equipped to utilize our litigation skills in court if necessary. Our goal is to find the best possible solution that will meet your children's needs while protecting your parental rights.

DuPage County Attorneys Protecting Your Family Values

The attorneys at Stock, Carlson & Asso. LLC, can guide you through the legal process pertaining to decisions about your children. Let us put our decades of experience to work and help you find a healthy arrangement that is favorable to you.

Illinois law no longer uses the terms "child custody" or "visitation." Instead, what used to be referred to as "legal custody" is now called the "allocation of parental responsibilities." This involves the right to make decisions about how children will be raised. The different areas of responsibility that parents may divide or share include decisions about children's education, healthcare, religion, and extracurricular activities.

Similarly, parents will no longer be granted sole or joint "physical custody" or "visitation." Instead, the law refers to the time children spend in the care of either parent as "parenting time." This change in terminology recognizes that both parents play an important role in raising their children.

There are some cases where one parent may have sole parental responsibilities and be granted a majority or all of the parenting time. However, in most situations, parents will share in decision-making responsibilities, and parenting time will be allocated in a way that ensures that children will have reasonable amounts of time with each parent. In some cases, other arrangements may be appropriate, and we believe parents should know what some of their other options are, including:

• Split Parental Responsibilities and/or Parenting Time - In some cases, one or more children may live primarily with one parent, while other children will live primarily with the other parent.
• Birdnesting - This is a fairly new type of arrangement that some parents may use in an effort to maintain stability. In these cases, parents will establish separate homes, but they will also maintain a single home where children will live, and parents will move in and out of the house during their scheduled parenting time.

At Stock, Carlson & Asso. LLC, we are dedicated to providing service to families in Wheaton, having served as Guardians ad Litem to children needing their own personal attorneys to represent them. Our goal is to be straightforward and to provide healthy solutions that will be practical for families to apply in their everyday lives.

Contact Our Wheaton Family Law Attorneys

If you are concerned about your parental rights and need experienced legal guidance, contact the attorneys at Stock, Carlson & Asso. LLC in Wheaton, Illinois at 630-665-2500. We will work with you to determine the best options for maintaining a healthy relationship with your child.