Clarendon Hills Family Law Attorneys

Dealing with legal issues that may affect your family can not only be a complex and stressful process, but the decisions made in these cases could affect you and your loved ones for years to come. Whether you need to resolve issues related to the custody of your children or address other concerns that may affect your family, an experienced lawyer can provide the guidance you need to resolve these matters successfully.

The team at Goostree Law Group provides dedicated legal representation in family law cases, working to ensure that our clients can resolve disputes related to child custody or address other concerns that may affect their families. We understand the emotional factors that often play a role in these cases, and we provide the compassionate support our clients need to get through these situations and avoid problems that could affect the stability of their families in the future.

Child Custody

Some of the most important issues that may be addressed in family law cases will be related to where children will live and how parents will share responsibility for raising them. In a child custody case, parents will need to make decisions about whether joint custody or sole custody will be appropriate.

Allocation of Parental Responsibilities

Parental responsibilities involve the authority to make decisions about a child's life. Parents will need to determine how decisions related to education, healthcare, religious upbringing, and extracurricular activities will be handled. In many cases, parents will be able to share decision-making responsibilities, but there are some cases where some or all responsibilities will be handled by one parent.

Parenting Time

While family law cases in the past may have granted primary physical custody to one parent and provided the other parent with visitation time, Illinois law now uses the term parenting time to describe any time that children spend with either parent. In most cases, parents will have the right to have a reasonable amount of time with their children. Courts encourage parents to create parenting time schedules that will allow children to maintain strong relationships with their parents and encourage both parents to have an active role in raising their children.

Modifying Custody and Parenting Time

The lives of family members can change over time. When these changes may affect child custody arrangements, a parent can request a modification of parental responsibilities or parenting time. These cases may address parental relocation, changes in parents' work schedules, or concerns about a child's safety. Our law firm helps clients pursue or defend against modification requests, working to find solutions that will provide for the best interests of children.

Paternity

In some cases, child custody issues may not be addressed until paternity is established. Paternity may be an issue in a situation where a couple was not married when their child was born. After establishing paternity, parents may take steps to negotiate a parenting plan that will allow them to share parental responsibilities while ensuring that the child can spend reasonable amounts of parenting time with both parents. Paternity will also ensure that a child has the right to receive child support, and it will also provide the child with access to health insurance, inheritance rights, family medical history, and certain government benefits.