When determining child custody, the court’s primary concern is the best interest of the child. The court will consider factors such as the child’s relationship with each parent, the child’s needs, and the parents’ ability to cooperate and co-parent.
Based on those factors, the court will make its custody decisions by allocating (that is, dividing up) “significant decision-making” and “parenting time.” Significant decision-making means having authority to make decisions about the child’s education, healthcare, extracurricular activities, and religion. Parenting time means the actual, physical time with the child (sometimes called “visitation”).
A “joint-custody” order would be shared decision-making and equal parenting time. A “full custody order” would be when one parent has sole decision-making and a majority, if not all, of the parenting time. Orders typically fall between the joint and full orders.
The court’s order, or Allocation Judgement, can be modified to adjust the division of parenting time. It is important to understand what kind of changes might be considered justifiable reasons for making such a change, and what steps may be required prior to filing the motion.
Contact Zach to make sure that your judgement protects you and your child, or if it needs to be updated. Request an initial consultation or call (312) 772-3346 today.
