Custody Issues for Non-Married Parents in Schaumburg, Illinois

Child custody is a complex matter for married and non-married parents alike. Parental rights, visitation, and child support are some common issues brought up in every child custody case. However, custody issues for non-married parents can be even more complex. If you are an unmarried parent involved in a child custody case in Schaumburg, call The Law Office of Nicholas W. Richardson, P.C. today for a free initial consultation.

Paternity Issues in Rolling Meadows, IL

One complication for non-married parents is that the child's paternity must be established before the non-married father can gain custody or visitation rights. If paternity was not established by the court, the mother usually has full custody.

If parents are in agreement that a man is a child's father, they may sign a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity form. However, if parents cannot agree to do so, the father may need to petition the court to legally recognize him as the child's parent. Even if the court does establish paternity for the father, a judge may not issue a custody order allowing the father to spend parenting time with the child unless the judge finds that this would be in the child's best interest.

Once paternity is established, both parents will have rights to custody and parenting time with the child. Both parents also have an obligation to support their child. The non-custodial parent typically pays child support to the custodial parent. The custodial parent provides support by providing housing, food, and daily necessities.

Same-Sex Parents

Same-sex parents may experience the same custody issues affecting non-married parents. Many married or unmarried same-sex parents in Illinois raise children together - children they jointly adopted, biological children of one parent, and/or children born through surrogacy or artificial reproductive technology.

If unmarried same-sex parents go through a custody dispute, legal complications may arise regarding who is required to pay child support or who has the legal right to custody and parenting time. These cases will often be handled the same as custody disputes involving opposite-sex parents, and to protect their rights, a same-sex parent may need to complete a step-parent adoption or take other steps to ensure that they are legally recognized as the parent of a child.

Contact a Barrington Child Custody Attorney for Non-Married Parents

No matter your relationship status, remember that you deserve the experience and advocacy of Attorney Richardson. If you live in Schaumburg or another city in the Chicago area and are dealing with a child custody or family law issue, contact Attorney Richardson today at 847.873.6741 for honest, straightforward advice throughout the legal process. Your case is never handed to a junior associate. Nicholas W. Richardson has helped many Schaumburg families through difficult family law cases, as well as families in Palatine, Barrington, Arlington Heights, Rolling Meadows, Cook County, and DuPage County.