Under Illinois law a parent has a fundamental right to parenting time with his or her child. The only way that right can be restricted is if the other parent can prove that parenting time seriously endangered the child’s physical, mental, or moral health, or significantly impaired the child’s emotional…
Effective May 24, 2023, the Illinois Supreme Court adopted Rule 909 which provides procedures, definitions and rules for the appointment of Parenting Coordinators. Here’s what you need to know. Under Illinois law, a parenting coordinator is a qualified third party who is appointed by the judge to address and resolve…
Toxicity can exist in every case, particularly when it comes to cases involving children and the vindictive ex-spouse you share those children with. As one may imagine, or may have experienced, the vitriol exchanged between two parents can boil over to the point of being detrimental to the children. And…
In a divorce case involving children or in parentage case, it is usually pretty easy to figure out what each of the parents wants. What often isn’t clear is what the child wants, and how much weight the court should give to a child’s expressed wishes. The Illinois Marriage…
In Illinois, the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Confidentiality Act (MHDDCA), protects communications made between a client and a therapist. Generally, when an individual begins therapy, the therapist’s first obligation is to explain that anything the client says to the therapist will remain confidential. However, this may not always be…
If you are currently an active duty military servicemember with orders to deploy, you may be wondering what happens to your parenting time with your kids while you are deployed. In other words, will you be forced to forfeit your parenting time with the minor children by virtue of your…
During these unprecedented times during the Covid-19 outbreak, it seems like everything is uncertain and up in the air. On Friday, March 20, 2020, Governor Pritzker enacted Executive Order In Response to COVID-19 (COVID-19 Executive Order No. 10), otherwise known as the “Shelter In Place” order. The order provides that…
Would an Illinois family law court restrict a parent’s ability to smoke cigarettes or vape around a child? Specifically, can a court limit a parent’s time with his or her minor child to prevent the exposure to second-hand smoke or vapor? The answer to this hypothetical question is hazy at…
Some may rejoice, and some may cringe at the notion that parents might be required to metaphorically “split the baby” under Illinois House Bill 4113, which is currently sitting in committee. Effectively, if passed, House Bill 4113 would represent a dramatic change in how parenting time is allocated among parents.…
In many custody disputes, allegations of abuse against children are thrown around. Sometimes, people use this simply as a means of mudslinging to gain an upper hand in the court’s eyes against the opposing party. However, other times, even the slightest indication of abuse can reveal a Pandora’s Box, leading…