Visitation Rights Chicago

If you have a concern related to visitation rights with your children, it is naturally a pressing concern. Because your parental rights are paramount and maximizing the time you are able to spend with your children is key, it is always in your best interest to work closely with an experienced visitation rights attorney in Chicago. 

Your Parenting Time Rights

if your children’s other parent is their primary custodian – with whom they live the majority of the time – you (as the non-custodial parent) have the right to what the law calls reasonable parenting time. What is meant by reasonable parenting time depends upon the court’s interpretation, given your specific situation. The court’s primary concern, however, is supporting the best interests of your children, and this begins with the starting position of assuming that they are better off when they are allowed to continue developing strong, close relationships with both you and their other parent. 

The Factors Considered in Parenting Time Determinations

When it comes to making decisions regarding parenting time, Illinois courts take a wide range of factors deemed relevant into consideration, including:

• The amount of time each parent has devoted to spending with the children over the prior two years and the parental duties each parent took on.
• Both parents’ personal preference
• Each child’s personal preference (if the child is old enough and mature enough to weigh in on this important matter)
• The unique relationship each child has with each parent, with his or her siblings, and with any other people who fill a primary role in the child’s life.
• Each child’s overall adjustment to home, school, and the community at large
• The physical and mental health of both parents, of each child, and of anyone else who lives in either parent’s household
• Each parent’s ability to put the needs of each child before his or her own
• The distance between the two parents’ homes, each parent’s ability to transport the children back and forth, the schedules of both parents and of each child, and each parent’s willingness and capacity to cooperate with the other
• Each parent’s willingness and capacity to facilitate and encourage a close and ongoing relationship between the children and their other parent
• Whether there is any reason to restrict the non-custodial parent’s parenting time
• Whether abuse against one or more of the children – or anyone else in the household – is an issue
• Any other considerations that the court determines are relevant in the situation at hand.

In other words, there are myriad factors that can play a role in the parenting time determination you receive, and your dedicated visitation rights attorney has the legal insight to help you bring your strongest case in support of your parental rights and a favorable parenting time schedule. 

Reach Out to an Experienced Visitation Rights Attorney in Chicago for the Legal Guidance You Need

The seasoned visitation rights attorneys at The Law Offices of George M. Sanders in Chicago are committed to focusing the full force of their experience and legal savvy on protecting your visitation rights. To learn more, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.