Parenting after a divorce is challenging. Fortunately, there are many things parents in Illinois can do to make the transition to life after marriage easier. The most important piece of parenting cooperatively after divorce is creating a great parenting plan that places the child’s best interests first and respects the needs and wishes of both parents. 

Strategies like mediation can help parents navigate their differences while resolving issues like parenting time and allocation of parental responsibilities. When spouses and their attorneys work together, they can create a parenting plan that both parents are more likely to appreciate and follow. If you are getting divorced and want an amicable and effective parenting plan, here are some tips to get you started. 

Creating an Amicable Parenting Plan

Although everyone’s situation is unique, there are time-tested strategies that generally yield good results. These include: 

Substance abuse is a huge problem in the United States. In fact, nearly 21 million Americans suffer from addiction. Whether it is alcohol, cocaine, prescription pills, or another substance, addiction can negatively impact many areas of a person’s life, including his or her ability to care for children. If you are currently in the middle of a child custody battle and you or the other parent suffer from addiction, a child custody lawyer can help you understand how best to proceed.

Parental Responsibility Restrictions a Judge May Impose

Parents who abuse alcohol and controlled substances may have difficulty taking proper care of a child. In some cases, they may even put the child in danger. However, some parents who suffer from addiction are actively taking steps to keep the addiction under control so it does not affect their parenting. 

The court recognizes has the authority to restrict parenting time if there is evidence that the parent’s substance abuse has negatively affected the child’s physical or mental health.

Child custody disputes tend to be difficult for everyone involved. Parents who disagree about the allocation of parental responsibilities and parenting time can sometimes reach an agreement through family law mediation. Others negotiate an agreement through their lawyers. However, some parents simply cannot find a workable solution to child-related disputes. In some cases, avoiding the following mistakes can help you avoid making the situation worse than it already is.

Mistakes Parents Often Make During Child Custody Battles

When you are in the middle of a child custody battle, it is critical to think rationally and not allow your emotions to take over. Otherwise, you could make costly mistakes, like these:

• Allowing your anger to take over - If you and your ex ended things on bad terms, you may feel a lot of anger and resentment towards him or her. While it is natural to go through these emotions, it is important not to lose your cool. If you get into a heated confrontation with your ex, it may negatively affect your child custody case. 

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When a couple with children divorces, that divorce does not end their involvement with each other. While they may no longer live under the same roof, they still need to co-parent in the most cooperative way possible. Unfortunately, there are many issues that can arise where the disagreements are so strong, the couple ends up back in family court.

One area where this often occurs is when it comes to medical decisions for the child. And now that COVID-19 vaccines are available for children 12 years of age and older, the divide between people who are for and those against the vaccine has made its way into parenting decisions.

Allocation of Parental Responsibilities

Several years ago, Illinois lawmakers did a complete revamping of the state’s divorce and child custody laws. One of those changes even involved eliminating the term “child custody” and instead referring to it as the allocation of parental responsibilities. The scope of these parental responsibilities involves both parenting time and significant decision-making on behalf of the child. However, these two elements are treated separately.

Whether you are going through a divorce in DuPage County and have minor children from your marriage, or you share minor children with a partner and you have decided to separate, you will need to learn more about how Illinois law handles child custody issues. Under the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (IMDMA), Illinois courts no longer award child custody to one or both parents. Further, courts no longer use the terms legal custody and physical custody to describe the relationship between a parent and a minor child. Instead, courts allocate parental responsibilities.

According to the IMDMA, there are two different types of parental responsibilities: significant decision-making responsibilities and parenting time. What is the difference between them, and how do courts allocate them?