Child Custody Issues in Schaumburg

Like many family law matters, child custody cases can be difficult for everyone involved. However, custody disputes can be resolved efficiently and with little pain if you have experienced legal guidance. The Law Office of Nicholas W. Richardson, P.C. provides clients all across the Northwest Suburbs with straightforward, honest legal advice and assistance to help their families through these tough times.

With more than 15 years of legal experience, Nicholas W. Richardson helps his clients through the most complicated family law matters. One of the best ways to help parents is to educate them about their case and their legal choices. Below are some child custody terms you may need to know:

• Child custody refers to how parents care for the child. There are two types of custody: physical and legal. Physical custody refers to living arrangements and parenting schedules. Legal custody refers to important decisions the parties make for the child, like non-emergency medical, educational, or religious upbringing decisions. All custody determinations must be made with the child's best interests in mind.

• Sole custody occurs when one parent is responsible for making all decisions regarding the minor child's upbringing. Sole custody may be ordered or agreed in the event that the parents are unwilling or unable to effectively co-parent or, in more extreme cases, if one parent is incarcerated, absent, incapacitated, or abusive, among other factors.

• Shared (or joint) custody means both parents determine issues involving a minor child together. In this case, each parent can give input to reach important decisions related to issues such as medical choices, notwithstanding that only one parent may be deemed the residential parent. Joint custody is common in Illinois, and it can help promote a child's relationship with both parents.

• A parenting time schedule determines which parent has the child for what amount of time. This schedule can be set by the court or agreed to by the parents. Typically, one parent is named the residential parent, while the other is granted a reasonable amount of parenting time with the children. The parents can choose to agree upon a schedule that best meets their particular set of circumstances, or the court can make that determination in the event the parents are unable to do so.

• Parenting coordinators are neutral third parties who help both parents determine a visitation schedule. A judge may order both parties to hire a parenting coordinator, or the parties may hire one on their own. Parenting coordinators can be especially helpful in complicated or contentious custody cases.

• A custody evaluator is a neutral third party, usually a psychiatrist or psychologist, who is appointed by the court as its witness and helps the judge determine the best custody situation for the child. If both parents cannot agree on custody arrangements, evaluators investigate the couple's particular circumstances and prepare a custody report for the judge, who then makes the final decision regarding the child's custody and/or parenting time.

Contact a Schaumburg Child Custody Lawyer

If you are involved in a child custody dispute, or if you want to begin a custody case or make modifications to your current arrangements, contact The Law Office of Nicholas W. Richardson, P.C. today to schedule your free initial consultation. Nicholas W. Richardson will walk you through the process and inform you of your options along the way to help you and your child. Attorney Richardson serves clients in Palatine, Barrington, Schaumburg, Arlington Heights, Rolling Meadows, Cook County, and DuPage County.