Bolingbrook Child Custody Lawyer

One of the biggest downsides of divorce or separation is the instability it causes in families. Child custody matters are a delicate dance between what each party wants — children included — and what’s in the kids’ best interests. A Bolingbrook child custody lawyer from Wolfe & Stec Ltd. can help you deal with the emotional and legal complexities that come with child custody cases.

What Illinois Law Says About Child Custody

Where You Can File Your Child Custody Case

Illinois has specific rules about which court can handle your custody case. Your case belongs in Illinois if:

• Your child has lived in Illinois for at least six months, making Illinois their “home state.”
• Your child has strong connections to Illinois through school, healthcare, or family.
• You or your child face safety risks in another state.
• No other state has proper jurisdiction over your case.

It’s important to ensure your case starts in the right court as this saves you time and money. But you also need to know what child custody arrangements entail in Illinois.

Legal and Physical Custody in the State of Illinois

Illinois courts handle two main types of custody. Legal custody gives you the right to make important decisions about your child’s life, like their education and healthcare. Physical custody determines where your child lives and how they spend time with each parent.

Your Rights and Responsibilities Under Legal Custody

When you have legal custody, you make important decisions about:

• Your child’s education, including school choice and special services
• Medical care and treatment options
• Religious upbringing and participation
• Extracurricular activities and programs
• Mental health care and counseling.

Each of these decisions shapes your child’s future, making legal custody an important parental right.

What to Expect Under Physical Custody Arrangements

Physical custody involves the practical aspects of raising your child:

• Daily care and supervision
• Living arrangements and schedules
• Transportation to and from activities
• Regular routines and household rules
• Emergency care plans.

Our family law attorneys help you understand your rights under both types of custody. We make sure you know exactly what to expect as your case moves forward, and we help create arrangements that serve your child’s best interests while protecting your parental rights.

How Courts Make Custody Decisions

Illinois judges look carefully at several important factors when deciding custody:

• The emotional ties between your child and each parent
• Your ability to provide a stable home environment
• Your child’s connection to their school and community
• Your physical and mental health
• Your willingness to work with the other parent.

After these factors are taken into consideration, we help present the strongest case for your parenting abilities.

Contact our Bolingbrook child custody attorneys today at 630-305-0222 to protect your parental rights.

Why Choose Us?

Your Family Deserves Experienced Representation

At Wolfe & Stec Ltd. we stand out because of the following:

• Deep knowledge of Will County and DuPage County family courts
• Focus on reaching agreements that work for your family
• Clear communication throughout your case
• Strategic planning that protects your rights
• Commitment to achieving positive outcomes.

These qualities make us effective advocates for parents facing custody disputes.

What Are the Common Custody Arrangements?

Because families are unique, custody arrangements usually differ from one family to another. As you consider how to share your parenting responsibilities, here are a few models to consider:

Joint Custody

Many families choose joint custody as it is considered to allow better adjustment for the child. The parents share decision-making rights and parenting time, and this arrangement helps keep both parents actively involved in their child’s life. We help create detailed parenting plans that spell out each parent’s responsibilities, including:

• Schedule for regular parenting time
• Holiday and special occasion arrangements
• Transportation between homes
• Methods for sharing information about the child
• Process for making major decisions together.

These arrangements help maintain strong bonds with both parents while providing stability for your child.

Sole Custody

Sometimes one parent needs primary custody. This might happen if one parent lives far away, one parent has issues that affect their parenting ability, or parents cannot effectively co-parent. We help prove why this arrangement serves your child’s best interests while protecting the non-custodial parent’s visitation rights.

Primary Custody With Visitation

When one parent serves as the primary caregiver, a structured visitation schedule helps maintain the child’s relationship with both parents. This arrangement often includes:

• Regular weekend visits, usually every other weekend
• One weekday evening visit, often for dinner and homework time
• Extended visitation during summer breaks and school holidays
• Flexible scheduling options for special occasions
• Clear transportation arrangements between homes.

This arrangement works well for families where parents live in different school districts or when work schedules make equal parenting time impractical.

Split Custody

It’s not common, but there are situations that lead to siblings living separately with different parents. Courts generally prefer keeping siblings together, but split custody might work when:

• Older children have strong preferences about living arrangements
• Siblings have different educational or medical needs
• One parent is better equipped to handle specific challenges
• The arrangement allows children to maintain strong relationships with both parents.

Each family’s specific circumstances determine whether split custody makes sense.

Alternative Custody Arrangements

In some cases, families may explore less traditional custody arrangements to meet their unique needs. These include specialized schedules that accommodate unusual work hours or travel requirements. However, each arrangement must prioritize the children’s best interests while remaining practical for both parents.

Modifying Custody Orders

Certain situations might necessitate changing the original custody agreement. A Bolingbrook child custody lawyer can help you go through the modification process effectively. A few reasons a modification might be necessary include:

Job Relocations

If you need to move for work, we help you request custody changes while maintaining your parent-child relationship. We assist with:

• Proving the move benefits your child
• Creating new visitation schedules
• Arranging virtual visitation options
• Addressing transportation concerns
• Modifying decision-making arrangements.

This is one of the most common reasons parents consider modifying custody agreements.

Changes in Your Child’s Needs

As children grow, their needs change. We help adjust custody arrangements to match their development by considering:

• Academic requirements and school changes
• Medical conditions and treatment plans
• Social and emotional development
• Extracurricular activities
• Changing family dynamics.

The custody arrangement is meant to serve the child’s best interests and should adapt as the child grows.

Safety Concerns

If you worry about your child’s safety, we act quickly to protect them through custody modifications. We help address:

• Substance abuse issues
• Domestic violence concerns
• Mental health challenges
• Environmental hazards
• Supervision problems.

A child’s well-being is a top priority for the state of Illinois. When it is threatened, the system works fast to protect the child.

Financial Changes

Sometimes financial circumstances require custody modifications. We help you navigate changes related to:

• Job loss or reduction in income
• Increased childcare costs
• Medical expenses
• Educational expenses
• Transportation costs.

We gather evidence, prepare necessary documentation, and advocate for changes that serve your child’s best interests.

Emergency Custody Situations

Sometimes you need immediate court action to protect your child. Illinois courts can grant emergency custody when:

• Your child has been abandoned.
• Your child faces abuse or neglect.
• Your child’s siblings face immediate danger.
• Your child needs protection from other serious threats.

Quick action in these situations can prevent harm and protect your child’s well-being.

FAQ

When their kids’ welfare will be affected, parents are naturally concerned. Here are common questions we get on child custody matters:

Can Illinois courts handle my custody case if I recently moved here?

Illinois can handle your case if your child has lived here for at least six months or if you have significant connections to the state and evidence about your child’s care is available here.

What happens if custody cases are filed in two different states?

Courts will communicate with each other to determine which state should handle the case. Usually, the state where the child has lived for the past six months takes precedence.

Can I enforce my custody order from another state in Illinois?

Yes. Illinois courts will recognize and enforce valid custody orders from other states. We can help you register your out-of-state order here.

How does Illinois handle international custody disputes?

Illinois treats foreign custody orders similarly to those from other U.S. states, as long as the foreign proceedings meet basic human rights standards.

Our team of Bolingbrook child custody lawyers is ready to answer your specific questions about custody rights and arrangements.

Get Help From a Bolingbrook Child Custody Lawyer Today

Protect What Matters Most

Child custody matters almost always emerge after a form of turbulence, be it divorce, abuse, violence, irreconcilable differences between parents, or a feeling that the child is no longer safe in their current environment. Whatever the reason, if you are fighting for custody over your children, working with a lawyer who understands the complexities of the process and has an understanding of local systems is your best bet. Our family law team at Wolfe & Stec Ltd. brings experience and dedication to your custody case.

Call us today at 630-305-0222 to discuss your child custody case with our experienced legal team.