Couples going through a divorce need to make a special effort to ensure that their kids’ future is not jeopardized because of the case. When discussing the matter of child custody, children’s interests should be given top priority. Unless one of the parents is found mentally unfit for parenting, both the parents get equal parenting time be it joint or sole custody. In joint custody, decisions regarding the child are made jointly by both the parents. In sole custody, only the parent who has the custody makes decisionsContinue reading
Category Archives: Child Custody
More states move toward shared custody
On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Child Custody on Thursday, January 30, 2014. Chicago parents may be interested in proposed laws around the country that promote shared custody of children by divorcing parents. Many of the new laws would suggest or require judges to award equal custody between parents unless there is some compelling reason not to do so, such as a history of abuse by one parent. Advocates say that children benefit when they spend the same amount of time with each parent. Arkansas recently changed itsContinue reading
Illinois boy ordered to be returned to mother
On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Child Custody on Monday, December 16, 2013. An Illinois mother will receive custody of her son after a federal judge ruled he must be returned from his father’s home in Ireland. The case, which is complicated by its international boundaries, is of interest to families on both sides of the Atlantic. The most recent ruling comes after a ruling in 2012 that determined the son should live with his father in Ireland. At that time, a court in Ireland ruled that theContinue reading
Child custody, visitation two pieces of difficult divorce puzzle
On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Child Custody on Wednesday, September 4, 2013. Divorce is one legal area in Chicago that includes many other sub-specialties such as financial law, real estate, business law and more. A couple dissolving their marriage will need to think about all of these factors, as well as visitation and other issues related to any children whom they share. Courts take special interest in making sure that children in a divorce are kept as safe as possible during and after the legal process. For a custodialContinue reading
Working moms and custody cases
On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Child Custody on Thursday, June 13, 2013. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that about 70.5 percent of moms work outside the home. Additionally, 30 percent of working women make more money each year than their husbands. This change in gender roles has also resulted in a change in some cases regarding child custody, causing dramatic reversals in determining which Illinois parent should get primary custody and spousal support. Historically, most mothers, whether they were working or not, usually received the kids duringContinue reading
The question, ‘Are you my mother?’ not always easily answered
On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Child Custody on Thursday, December 27, 2012. The question is simple; the answer may be much more complicated. The advances of science and the convolution of some child custody legalities can cloud the answer(s) to this seemingly straightforward question. Potential parents in Chicago should be aware of the biological and legal issues that may affect their future children. For example, the scientific breakthroughs in reproductive technology allows a baby to have up to three “mothers.” One, the genetic mother, another, may be the birthContinue reading
Disability could have bearing on child custody
On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Child Custody on Friday, December 7, 2012. While the U.S. has been enlarging and protecting the rights of the millions of citizens with disabilities, particularly since 1990, when Congressional legislation formalized many regulations to level the playing field, there remain biases and barriers facing disabled parents. The examples of this unfairness abound. Finding examples of these inequities is not difficult. A blind couple loses child custody of their newborn to the state. A Chicago quadriplegic mom had to fight an 18-month courtroom battle toContinue reading
With child custody, it matters where you live
On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Child Custody on Monday, November 26, 2012. The world often seems smaller than it used to be. Various career or life changes can lead someone to want to make a big move. But when Halle Berry wanted to move to France to be with her fiancée, but the child custody arrangement she has led a judge to rule that her 4 year old daughter needs to stay closer to her father in Los Angeles. Berry believed her move should be allowed because it wouldContinue reading