Chicago Divorce Lawyer Russell Knight Explains the Different Types of Child Custody in Illinois

Chicago divorce lawyer Russell Knight releases a new article (https://rdklegal.com/what-are-the-different-types-of-child-custody-in-illinois/) that explains the different types of child custody in Illinois. The lawyer mentions that there are a lot of references to different types of child custody - sole custody, joint custody, and physical custody among others. In Illinois, child custody is something that cannot be put into a single box. This is why the Illinois legislature crossed the word “custody” entirely out of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act.

“Parenting time is literally just a schedule of each parent’s time with the children. This schedule is agreed to and approved by the family court judge. If the parents can’t agree on the schedule, the family court judge will assign the parents a schedule based on the “best interests” of the child,” says the Chicago divorce lawyer.

The lawyer explains that parenting responsibilities refer to the decision-making responsibilities that both parents will have on behalf of the child. There are four categories in which the parents will have to decide on the decision-making responsibility. These categories include education, health, religion, and extracurricular activities.

Attorney Russell Knight adds that if the parents are not able to agree on who gets what responsibility, the family court will have to distribute these responsibilities amongst each parent. Also, in Illinois, joint custody means that both parents are sharing the decision-making and parenting time equally. In joint custody, both parents are expected to communicate and work together for the best interest of their children.

In the article, attorney Knight also explains that sole custody is quite complicated in Illinois. If a parent wants to limit their child’s exposure to the other parent, there must be some serious allegations that they can prove. In order to remove a parent from a child’s life, there must be some kind of abuse involved.

According to the divorce lawyer, “Realistically, anytime you have your children with you have effective sole custody so long as the decision doesn’t involve one of the big four factors: education, health, religion, or extracurricular activities. When your kids are with you, you are, effectively, the only parent.”

Lastly, attorney Russell Knight emphasizes the importance of having a skilled divorce attorney when dealing with divorce matters. Having an experienced lawyer may be able to help the client understand their rights and receive a favorable outcome in the case.

About The Law Office of Russell Knight

The Law Office of Russell D. Knight was established in 2009 by the divorce attorney Russell D. Knight. The lawyer’s love for family law is demonstrated by the numerous articles personally written by the lawyer. Russell is a licensed lawyer throughout Florida and Illinois. The attorney has a legal practice in both states and employs an entire staff of paralegals and attorneys in the two states of Chicago, Illinois, and Naples, Florida. Contact them today at (773) 334-6311.