Protecting Your Right to Be Present in Your Child’s Life
After a separation or divorce, disagreements over parenting time can quickly turn emotional and contentious. Whether you're trying to secure time with your child, defend against losing parenting time, or facing an unfair schedule, Illinois law gives you rights.
What Is Parenting Time in Illinois?
Parenting time refers to the time each parent spends with the child, regardless of who has primary decision-making authority (custody). It includes:
Weekday and weekend schedules
Holidays and school breaks
Summer vacation time
Transportation arrangements
Phone, video, or electronic communication
Under Illinois law, courts presume that a child benefits from having a strong relationship with both parents, and parenting time should be structured accordingly (unless there is a specific reason to limit it).
Common Parenting Time Schedules
Illinois courts encourage parents to develop customized parenting plans. These may include:
Week-on/week-off schedules for parents sharing 50/50 time
Alternating weekends with midweek visits for non-custodial parents
Split holiday arrangements, such as rotating Thanksgiving or alternating Christmas
Summer break adjustments, especially in long-distance parenting cases
If parents can agree on a schedule, the court usually approves it. If not, the judge will impose one based on what the Judge believes is in the child’s best interest.
What the Court Considers
In allocating parenting time, the court considers many factors, including:
The child’s age and developmental needs
The child’s relationship with each parent
The parents’ willingness to cooperate
Each parent’s work schedule and availability
The geographic distance between homes
Any history of abuse, neglect, or substance use
The child’s preference, depending on maturity
217 Law Attorneys
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Courtney Anderson
Courtney practices criminal defense, family law, and personal injury. Never shy of a difficult or high-profile case, she has won numerous awards for her advocacy, including recently being selected as a finalist for top lawyer in Macon County.
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Fallon Conner
Fallon practices criminal defense and family law. As a former prosecutor, she has unique insight into the criminal justice system. She enjoys being in the courtroom and has a great track record of success in bench and jury trials.
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Zach Anderson
Zach focuses on helping injured clients with workers compensation, personal injury, and products liability claims. He has successfully resolved multiple single-party injury cases for over $1 million, and has helped recover millions for users of bad products.
We want to work with you.
Phone:
217-217-0217
Address:
132 S. Water St., Suite 628. Decatur, IL 62523
Email:
info@217law.com
Where We Work:
We help clients throughout the 217 area code with injury claims and general civil litigation. We practice criminal defense and family law in Macon and surrounding counties.
