The most contentious issue couples with children can face when they decide to divorce or separate is child custody and visitation. Fighting over these issues in court can be an extremely emotional time for both parents. At The Law Office of Tiffany M. Hughes, our attorneys provide guidance regarding child custody which can be a difficult  process and provide focus on what is in the best interests of the minor children.

The Law Office of Tiffany M. Hughes is one of the most reputable and highly regarded family law firms in Chicago, Illinois. Our attorneys have extensive experience representing parents in child custody cases in Cook, Will, Lake, DuPage, Kane, McHenry and surrounding counties.

Allocation of Parental Responsibilities (Formerly Known As Custody)

Illinois Family Law Courts now refer to child custody as “allocation of parental responsibilities”, which means determining the parenting rights, parenting responsibilities, and parenting time of each parent for their minor child or minor children, which is then drafted into a “parenting plan” that is entered in court.

Parenting plans provided by the court when neither parent has legal representation typically cover the bare minimum issues, such as which parent, or both, have significiant decision making, and the parenting time schedule for both parents. Child custody lawyers create parenting plans that are far more extensive and cover every possible issue you and the other parent could face between now and when your minor child or minor children turn 18.

Parenting plans (also known as Allocation of Parental Responsibility Agreements or Allocation Judgments) can cover the following issues:

• Routine daily decisions
• Significant decision making for your child’s education, healthcare, religion, and extracurricular activities
• Routine communication methods and frequencies between parents
• Telephone access to your minor child when they are with the other parent
• Your child’s attendance at social functions
• Routine parenting time schedule (usually weekly or biweekly)
• Driving arrangements
• Procedure in instances of unusual events (weddings, funerals, family celebrations, etc.)
• Child care
• Your right to spend time with your child if the other parent is unavailable
• Holiday schedule
• Vacation schedule
• Requirements and notice between parents when traveling with your child
• Procedure in instances of one parent seeking to relocate or move to a different residence
• Provisions for traveling outside of the United States
• How parents agree to handle potential future disputes.

The Law Office of Tiffany Hughes – Experienced Child Custody Lawyers

We are an experienced and respected family law firm that is able to help you in the area of allocation of parental responsibilities and have thousands of family just like yours. We are highly experienced in creating parenting plans that ensure you have parenting time and overall what is in the best interest of your children. If a parenting plan is unable to be agreed upon by both parties after negotiation and mediation, our attorneys are experienced litigators ready to fight for you in court. The Law Office of Tiffany M. Hughes is renowned for being highly skilled in court and conducting trials, however, our goal is to resolve all matters with our stellar negotiation skills to settle everything outside of court. Whether through settlement or court, we are the attorneys that you need to fight for your parental rights, while ensuring your child is never caught in the middle.

Contact Us Today

For more information on how the family law attorneys at The Law Office of Tiffany M. Hughes, P.C. can help you through the legal process of child custody in Chicago and its surrounding areas, contact us to schedule your complementary consultation today at 773-893-0228.