Child Custody Lawyer Joliet Illinois - Illinois Child Custody Appeals | Learn About Law

Child Custody Lawyer - Joliet Illinois - Gordon Nelson

One of the most common questions that I get as a Child Custody Lawyer is "How long does a child custody case take?" The answer is the classic lawyer BS answer of "It Depends." If you and your spouse agree, it can be done almost immediately (almost immediately because you will need to take parenting classes, get the agreement written up and approved by the Court, etc.) If the case is in Joliet, IL and goes all the way to trial, in theory, child custody should be resolved within 18 months. I say in theory, because there is a rule that requires Child Custody matters to be resolved within 18 months. That being said, it is not unusual for the Court to grant an extension and for a child custody case to take longer than 18 months if it is very contentious.

Obviously, immediate agreement and resolving child custody matters within a few weeks is the best case scenario. Worst case scenario is a trial with no resolution for 18 to 24 months (or longer). You can also settle your child custody issues at any point in between by agreement.

The second most common question that I get as a Child Custody Lawyer is "How does a Child Custody Hearing Work?" Again, the answer is the classic lawyer BS answer of "It Depends." The Court will consider about 17 factors when determining Child Custody ranging from the historical roles of the parents to if there was any violence in the home. To determine the necessary information the Court might hear from a Guardian Ad Litem or Children's Representative (attorneys for the children), a custody evaluator (an expert who makes recommendations to the Judge about the best interests of the children), the parents, and any other witnesses the Court believes will be relevant. So bottom line, if there is a hearing on Child Custody, expect a lot of testimony and time in Court (and therefore a lot of expense).

The third most common question I get as a Child Custody Lawyer in Joliet, Illinois is "with Child Custody impact the new child support laws in Illinois." The answer is technically no. Let me explain why I say "technically." Custody is all about decision making for the kids. There are four major decisions in the Court's eyes: (1) Medical Decisions: doctors, treatments, etc.; (2) Education Decisions: what schools will the kids attend; (3) Religious Decisions: what religion, if any, will the kids be exposed to or raised in; and (4) Extra-Curricular Activity Decisions: what activities will the kids be involved in. Whether these decisions are made jointly (both parents equally - Joint Custody) or solely (one parent - Sole Custody), will not impact child support. However, visitation, or time with the kids, will impact child support. So the same parent might pay more child support if they have 25% of the time with their kids than they would pay if they have 50% of the time with their kids.

More questions, check out this video we made on the topic here : https://youtu.be/PFvT6sxLrJs

Or contact me directly.

Thanks,

Gordon

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Child Custody Lawyer Joliet Illinois

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Child Custody Lawyer Joliet

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