What Do I Need to Include in My Illinois Parenting Plan?

 Posted on August 26, 2021 in Child Custody

When it comes to co-parenting, it is best to be as prepared as possible. This is one reason Illinois requires divorcing parents to submit a parenting plan to the court that describes the important details of their co-parenting agreement. If you are a parent who is thinking about divorce, it is important to understand what Illinois expects from parents during the divorce process, including what you will need to address in your parenting plan. You and your soon-to-be ex can agree on the terms of the parenting plan and submit the plan jointly, or submit separate parenting plans to the court for consideration.

The Allocation of Parental Responsibilities and Parenting Time

Illinois does not use the terms “child custody” and “visitation” to describe parenting duties anymore. Instead, child custody is broken down into two main components:

Parental responsibilities – Parental responsibilities refer to the parents’ decision-making authority. Parents will need to decide how major decisions about the child’s upbringing will be handled. Will both parents make decisions about the child’s education, or will one parent have the final say? What about the child’s health and religious upbringing?

Parenting time – Parenting time used to be called visitation. This is the time that the child spends with each parent. You will need to be prepared with either a parenting time schedule or a method for determining the parenting time schedule. The child may stay with one parent on weekends and the other on weekdays, or you may switch days depending on your work schedule. You have the freedom to design the parenting time schedule that works for you and the other parent; however, the parenting time provisions in your parenting plan must be detailed enough to be enforceable in any future legal proceeding.

In addition to parenting time and parental responsibilities, you will also be expected to address transportation concerns, methods for handling future changes to the parenting plan, and several other issues.

A Strong Parenting Plan Can Set You Up for Successful Co-Parenting

Any divorced person can tell you that raising a child with your ex is no picnic. However, a well-written, detailed parenting plan can be a major asset. Some parents find that they can reach an agreement about the terms of the parenting plan on their own. Others attend family law mediation and work with a mediator to resolve disagreements. Parents who cannot communicate effectively may negotiate the terms of the parenting plan through their respective divorce lawyers.

Contact a St. Charles Child Custody Lawyer

If you are divorcing with children in Illinois, you will need to create a parenting plan and submit it to the court for approval. For help, contact the skilled Kane County divorce lawyers at Weiler & Associates, Inc.. Call us at 630-331-9110 for a confidential consultation.

Source:

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?ActID=2086&ChapterID=59&SeqStart=8300000&SeqEnd=10000000