Not all parents in Illinois live with their children all the time. Many parents are either divorced or were never married to the other parent. In these situations, many times the parents have child custody orders which govern which parent will make decisions regarding the children and when each parent will be with the children.
The decision making process is determined by which parent has legal custody or whether the parents have joint custody. When each parent has the children is determined by the parenting time portion of the order. Both custody and parenting time are determined by analyzing a number of factors to determine what is in the best interest of the child. Sometimes the court may determine that it is in the best interest of the child to restrict parental responsibilities of one of the parents.
This is done when the court finds that one of the parents will seriously harm the child’s mental, physical or moral health. The restrictions can limit the parent’s decision making ability; order that the parent’s time with the child must be supervised by a third party or at a safety center; restricting communication between the parents and/or child; requiring the parent to abstain from drugs or alcohol for a period of time prior to and during parenting time; requiring the parent to complete treatment; prohibiting certain people from being around the child during parenting time and other requirements, depending on the circumstances.
Many parents in Illinois have child custody orders governing how they parent their children. In certain situations, it may be in the best interests of the child to restrict one of the parent’s access to the child if a parent’s conduct will seriously endanger the child. Experienced attorneys know that every family is unique and may be a useful resource for one going through the process.
Source: Illinois General Assembly, “750 ILCS 5/603.10,” accessed on October 5, 2015