Bedford Park Child Custody Lawyers

Illinois Child Custody Attorneys Serving Families in Bedford Park

Whether you are going through a contested divorce and need assistance with your child custody case or have questions about parenting time and relocation, one of the experienced and compassionate Bedford Park child custody lawyers at Arami Law can help with your case. Our firm is committed to assisting families with many different legal matters related to child custody in Illinois, and we are available to answer your questions today.

Types of Cases Our Bedford Park Child Custody Attorneys Handle

At Arami Law, we regularly assist families with many legal issues pertaining to child custody, including but not limited to the following:

• Developing a parenting plan;
• Allocation of parental responsibilities and allocation judgments;
• Parenting time;
• Modifications to parenting plans or allocation judgments; and
• Relocation with your child.

We assist families at every stage of the child custody process, from paternity cases designed to help parents seek custody to modifications of allocations judgments after a divorce. 

Understanding Child Custody in Bedford Park

Under the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (IMDMA), child custody is no longer the term that Illinois law uses to discuss parental rights and responsibilities. Instead, courts now go through a process known as the allocation of parental responsibilities. Under the statute, parental responsibilities include both significant decision-making (formerly legal custody) and parenting time (formerly physical custody and visitation).

As the statute clarifies, parenting time involves spending time with the child and providing caretaking functions. 

Allocation of Parental Responsibilities in Bedford Park

Child custody, or the allocation of parental responsibilities, has two parts — significant decision-making responsibilities and parenting time. As the IMDMA explains, significant decision-making “means deciding issues of long-term importance in the life of a child.” For example, significant decision-making responsibilities might include determining where a child attends school, and whether and how a child is raised in a religious environment. 

Parenting time is defined as the time during which a parent is responsible for taking care of the child and making day-to-day decisions for the child.  The statute provides examples of caretaking functions, which can include, for instance:

• Making sure the child attends school;
• Setting the child’s bedtime and wake up time;
• Helping the child with homework;
• Ensuring the child is fed;
• Providing discipline for the child when appropriate;
• Supervising the child in household chores;
• Giving the child instruction in manners;
• Helping the child to develop relationships with peers and family members;
• Providing moral guidance for the child; and/or
• Ensuring that the child has a babysitter or other childcare.

When parents develop a parenting plan, they can work together to create a schedule for parenting time that also provides details about each parent’s responsibilities for particular caretaking functions. 

Contact a Bedford Park Child Custody Lawyer 

Do you have questions about child custody or need assistance with a parenting plan or allocation judgment? An experienced Bedford Park child custody attorney can assist you with your case. An advocate at our firm is here to answer your questions today. Contact Arami Law for more information.