Palatine Attorney for the Allocation of Parental Responsibilities

Experienced Child Custody Lawyer in DuPage County and Cook County

When parents divorce, separate or decide to forego marriage entirely, issues often arise regarding how to best provide for the needs of their child. Such concerns can also be the result of one parent seeking additional parenting time or, conversely, interfering with the other's ability to play a meaningful role in the child's life. Unfortunately, in any child-related dispute between parents, the child suffers. If you find yourself in a battle over parenting responsibilities, an experienced attorney can help you through the process while minimizing the stress on you and, more importantly, your children.

The Law Office of Nicholas W. Richardson, P.C. is full-service family law firm based in Palatine, Illinois. Attorney Richardson is committed to assisting you and your family in amicably resolving issues related to parental responsibilities, such as:

• Custody issues for non-married parents
• Removals of minor child from the state
• Parental relocation
• Parental rights
• Child support matters

Your child's best interests will always remain our top priority, even as we work diligently to protect your rights at every turn.

Allocation of Parental Responsibilities

Recent changes to the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (IMDMA) have dramatically shifted the focus of most child-related proceedings in the state. In an effort to reduce contentiousness and to encourage cooperative parenting, the new laws expect that parents will do their best to work together in raising their children. As such, parents in a proceeding for the "allocation of parental responsibilities" are required to file a Parenting Plan with the court that outlines the intended roles of each parent in the child's upbringing.

In developing a Parenting Plan, the parents must carefully consider the well-being of the child and divide parenting responsibilities between themselves in a manner that ensures that the child's needs will be met. Parenting responsibilities include the care-taking functions for the child, including meeting nutritional needs, bedtime and wake-up routines, discipline, school attendance, medical care, and moral and ethical guidance. The responsibilities also include significant decision-making on issues such as religious training, education, health care, and extracurricular activities. Attorney Nicholas W. Richardson is equipped to assist you in developing a Parenting Plan that is focused on your child's best interests.

Parenting Plans

In the event that parents cannot reach an agreement on a workable Parenting Plan, despite court-ordered mediation, the court may allocate significant decision-making responsibilities as appropriate. If left to the court, a judge will consider a number of factors in making their determination, including but not limited to:

• Wishes of the parents
• Wishes of the child, as appropriate due to age and maturity
• Child's adjustment to home, school, and community environments
• Interactions and relationships of the child with parents, siblings, and others
• Physical and mental health of all involved parties
• Occurrence or threat of physical violence or abuse
• Each parent's willingness and ability to encourage the child's relationship with the other parent
• Distance between the parents' homes and transportation concerns
• Ability and willingness of the parents to cooperate to promote the best interests of the child

Contact a Schaumburg Child Custody Attorney

Every situation is different, but Attorney Richardson recognizes the importance of cooperation between parents. Through mediation or collaboration, he is ready to help you reach the resolution that you and your family deserve.

Contact The Law Office of Nicholas W. Richardson, P.C. for a free initial consultation. Call 847.873.6741 today. Our firm is proud to serve the needs of clients in Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Schaumburg, Barrington, Arlington Heights, Cook County, and DuPage County.