Aurora, IL Parenting Plan Lawyers

Respected Attorneys Helping Create Parenting Agreements in Aurora, Illinois Family Law Cases

Every year in the United States, thousands of parents seek to end their marriages through the process of divorce. There are countless reasons why a marriage may fail, but, as far as the children are concerned, those reasons do not really matter. What does matter is ensuring that parents will be able to continue to meet the needs of their children while providing for their best interests and protecting their well-being. An effective parenting plan can help ensure that parents will be prepared to provide for their children's ongoing needs.

At The Law Office of Matthew M. Williams, P.C., we understand the challenges that you may be facing as a parent who is getting a divorce. We are here to help you address concerns related to your children and put arrangements in place that will allow you and your ex to co-parent your children effectively. With more than 20 years of experience, Attorney Matthew Williams can help you develop a parenting plan that is customized to your family's unique circumstances.

Seasoned Family Lawyers Who Care

Our attorneys have helped hundreds of families navigate the most difficult legal matters. We provide each and every client with our personal attention, working to address their concerns and help resolve their legal issues as quickly and efficiently as possible. With our knowledge of the law and our ability to simplify complex legal concepts, we are ready to help you work together with your child's other parent to draft a reasonable, equitable parenting plan that fully protects your parental rights while providing for your children's best interests.

Parenting Plans Under Illinois Law

A parenting plan provides a basis for the allocation of parental responsibilities following a divorce, separation, or the breakup of unmarried parents. Your parenting plan will outline the rights, responsibilities, and decision-making authority allocated to you and the other parent. By addressing these issues, which were formerly referred to as legal custody, effectively, you can help avoid disputes in the future, and you and your ex can establish parameters for shared decision-making as you raise your children together.

Your parenting plan must also include a parenting time schedule. Parenting time is also known as legal custody or visitation, and your schedule will detail the time when children will live in each parent's home or spend time with them otherwise. The parenting plan will specify a primary residence for children for the purposes of school enrollment and other similar concerns, but parenting time may be divided in whatever way works best for your family.

With our assistance, you and the other parent can negotiate a parenting plan that helps you utilize your respective strengths as parents while keeping both of you fully invested in your children's upbringing. We can use a wide variety of problem-solving techniques, including collaborative law, to help you reach agreements on the terms of your parenting plan without the need for litigation. If a negotiated resolution is not possible, however, we are prepared to protect your rights in court as well.

Resolving Parenting Disputes

At some point, you and your child's other parent will probably disagree on a particular decision or child-raising philosophy. Similarly, life changes may result in the need for your plan to be modified or amended in the future. For these reasons, your parenting plan must also contain provisions that address how the two of you will communicate and resolve your differences.

Your plan may state that one of you will have final decision-making authority when addressing certain child-related issues, or you may agree to use mediation or another form of dispute resolution to resolve any areas of disagreement. By carefully planning ahead, you can avoid most of the heated, contentious battles that have long been associated with child custody proceedings. Our lawyers will help you determine the best ways to protect your rights while minimizing future issues.

Contact Our Aurora, Illinois Parenting Plan Attorneys

To learn more about how we can assist you in drafting a workable, common-sense parenting plan, set up a free consultation with The Law Office of Matthew M. Williams, P.C. Contact our Aurora parenting agreement lawyers at 630-409-8184 today.