Many things can happen to Illinois parents throughout the life of their children. Sometimes parents fall into bad habits and must give up custody of their children while they get themselves better. Sometimes parents commit crimes and go to jail or become addicted to drugs or alcohol. Some parents are able to get their lives back on track, but they still need to petition the court for child custody in order to have their children again.
Two mothers who are currently going through this process were profiled in a recent news article. Both became addicted to drugs and ended up spending time in jail because of it. As a result, they both ended up giving custody of their children to their parents. Now they are drug-free, have turned their lives around and are working with a support group at the local courthouse that helps them navigate the process of regaining custody of their children. Both hope that they will be able to have full custody of their children in early 2014.
Illinois family law judges base child custody determinations on the best interests of the child and there are many factors that go into that determination. Parents who have lost custody have the right to regain it, but they must show the court that it is in the best interests of the children that they do so.
Experienced family law attorneys understand the factors that go into custody decisions. They can help parents who have lost custody explore their legal options to bring their children home again.
Source: Patriot Ledger, “With help from probation group, moms hope to regain child custody,” Lane Lambert, Dec. 23, 2013