Child custody lawyer Lake Forest, IL

The subject of holiday, vacation and special occasion parenting time can be a particularly stressful one for parents who are no longer romantically linked. Each parent wants to celebrate special occasions with their child and each parent wants to have clear expectations about when they will and will not be able to do so. Splitting up special occasions and vacations can be a daunting process because there are few ways to do so that are both fair and honor the best interests of the child affected by such arrangements. Thankfully, an experienced Lake Forest, Illinois child custody lawyer can help to empower co-parents to construct or modify a special occasion parenting time schedule that makes sense for everyone involved.

Co-Parenting at the Holidays – Considerations

As you may know by now, child custody and visitation/parenting time arrangements must be constructed with the “best interests of the child” standard in mind. However, the best interests of every child are different. When thinking about how to construct your special occasion parenting time schedule, consider your child’s unique best interests. Would your child suffer if he or she was not permitted to spend a specific period of time with one parent or the other? Does your proposed schedule allow your child to see all of his or her loved ones at some point during the year? Do your arrangements place unnecessary stress on your child due to time or travel constraints? Do your arrangements allow your child to experience the holiday traditions of both families? Does your proposed schedule allow each parent to participate in a variety of special occasions?

An experienced Lake Forest, IL child custody lawyer can help you to sort out the answers to these questions and to construct a parenting time arrangement that fits your child’s needs and the unique circumstances of your family’s situation. It is a delicate balance to both create reasonable, consistent expectations and to remain necessarily flexible when scheduling vacations and special occasions. However, an experienced Lake Forest, IL child custody lawyer can help you to achieve this balance in regards to either an original order or a parenting time modification.

Child Custody Guidance Is Available

If you have questions about child custody determinations generally and/or co-parenting agreements specifically, please do not hesitate to schedule a consultation with an experienced family law attorney today. The sooner you educate a Lake Forest, IL child custody lawyer about your situation, the sooner you can receive professional guidance and support that will allow you to make the best and most informed decisions possible for your child and your family. Speaking with a Lake Forest, IL child custody lawyer does not commit you to take any specific action, so there is no risk involved in scheduling a consultation. In addition, these conversations are confidential, so you do not need to hesitate for any reason. The legal team at Hurst, Robin, Kay & Allen, LLC is dedicated to helping parents create the healthiest, most beneficial parenting arrangements possible and we would be more than happy to speak with you about your family’s needs. We look forward to taking your call.

How Child Custody is Determined

While not every child custody case reaches a courtroom, many still do. A child custody case will need help from a court-ruled decision when both parents of the child cannot come to an agreement on the terms of custody. This can become a long and drawn-out process with many fingers being pointed at the other parent. It’s best that the child is shielded from this type of practice as it can become a daunting process. Not all cases have to reach a courtroom though. If both parents are still on somewhat amicable terms, then a mediator or attorney can be used. This is a great way to avoid having to go before a judge and still reach an agreeable outcome. A child custody lawyer in Lake Forest, IL can help to negotiate with the other parent’s legal team. Whether the case goes before a judge or is settled by both parents’ legal teams some clear guidelines will need to be reached. Those guidelines include:

Custody Care Plan – A custody care plan includes figuring out which days and times a parent will take care of their child. One parent may receive their child on weekends while the other is responsible for them during the week. This plan may also detail who takes the child to certain events and other care items.

Parenting Boundaries – When both parents share legal custody of the child but have different beliefs or rules about certain things it can be an issue. Boundaries can be set up in the child custody agreement regarding what type of school the child can attend, what types of events they can go participate in, and what kind of medical care they receive. Your Lake Forest, IL child custody lawyer from Hurst, Robin, Kay & Allen, LLC can fill you in more on the details and assist with setting this up.

Other Concerning Issues – There are many other issues that need to be considered in a child custody case. Some of those issues include what to do if one parent has to move to another location that is far away. Another issue is determining who and how much financial assistance will be given to the child. Another issue that may occur is how to approach the child when a new partner is found. It’s important to think of all of the different scenarios that could happen as they may affect your child’s quality of life.

While child custody can be an emotional and difficult process to handle it doesn’t always have to be that way. Remember to always think of your child first and understand the difficulties that they are facing too. Their life will change just as yours is and they too will need assistance and careful thought on how to proceed. Reach out to a child custody lawyer in Lake Forest, IL from our firm today to get help with these issues. Hurst, Robin, Kay & Allen, LLC is standing by and ready to assist. We believe that with our skills, knowledge, and experience helping numerous clients we can also be of benefit to you and your family.

What to Do When Visitation Orders are Violated

Parents who are bound to the legal obligations and responsibilities set forth by family court owe it to their child and the child’s custodial parent to uphold visitation agreements. However, it is not uncommon that visitation orders are disobeyed. This causes unnecessary emotional stress on you as the custodial parent, and furthermore, your child as well. If you are struggling with a parent that is continually violating their visitation order, contact an experienced child custody lawyer in Lake Forest, IL at once. A skilled attorney will come up with a solution that is in the best interest of your child’s wellbeing and help protect your interests throughout each step of the process.

What Constitutes a Visitation Violation?

You may not see eye to eye on everything that the child’s other parent does or the specific activities that they do with the child. Letting a 12-year-old watch a PG-13 movie in the other room while the parent cooks dinner probably would not constitute a visitation violation in any family court. Such an agreement may be held between both parents, informally, but unless it is ordered by the court, it will not be a mandate under the law.

However, if the parent fails to adhere to the specific terms provided in the visitation order, they may find themselves in trouble, as the court treats visitation violations, and the wellbeing of the child, very seriously. Some common examples of violations a Lake Forest, IL child custody lawyer has handled include the following:

Prolonging a visit
Not adhering to the visitation schedule (such as visiting or contacting the child at undesignated times)
Not adhering to supervised visitation orders (such as not having a third-party present)
Failing to pick up or drop off the child at the designated place or time
Asking another person to pick the child up, if not previously approved by the court

If a Visitation Order Is Being Violated, Take Action Today

There are various routes you can go if a parent is violating their visitation order. According to the courts, you can:

Call the police and ask that they enforce the order
File an action for contempt with the court. By going this route, you will need a Lake Forest, IL child custody lawyer

Let Us Help You Today

Regardless of the immediate first steps you take, such as calling the police, it is crucial to contact an experienced child custody lawyer Lake Forest, IL clients recommend at once in order to ensure that your rights are protected throughout this ordeal and that the visitation violations are put to an abrupt and permanent stop. Contact Hurst, Robin, Kay & Allen, LLC for immediate assistance.