| Divorcing or single parents in Illinois need to create a | | | | includes decisions about schooling and education, |
| custody agreement, or parenting plan, that deals with | | | | medical care and treatment, activities the child is |
| all of the issues of child custody. A mother and father | | | | involved in, religious upbringing, etc. All of the decision |
| can work together to create a joint custody | | | | making authority can be give to one parent, or the |
| agreement and submit it to the court. If the parents are | | | | parents can share this duty. If the parents share, they |
| not able to agree, each one should create a custody | | | | need to specify which decisions are made by each |
| agreement that they can present to the court, and a | | | | parent, if the parents must consult each other on |
| judge will determine what goes in the custody | | | | every decision, what happens if the parents aren't able |
| agreement. Here are some suggestions for making a | | | | to agree on a decision, etc. |
| custody agreement in Illinois that the judge will accept. | | | | A mother and father can also add any necessary |
| Illinois custody agreements should outline the parenting | | | | provisions or stipulations that will make the custody |
| time that each parent has with the children. The best | | | | arrangements work better. Some common stipulations |
| way to do this is to create a custody and visitation | | | | include how the parents will make changes to the |
| schedule to put in your plan. The schedule should | | | | agreement, how the parents will resolve disputes that |
| include the repeating cycle of custody and visitation, a | | | | arise in the agreement, how the exchanges of the child |
| holiday schedule, vacation time, and special events. | | | | will proceed, etc. Anything the parent wants to ensure |
| The parents can decide to have the children live | | | | happens with the child should be put in the agreement. |
| primarily with one parent and visit the other parent, or | | | | If the mother and father submit a joint custody |
| the child can have two households. All of the custody | | | | agreement it is usually accepted immediately by the |
| and visitation decisions should be made in the best | | | | court. If each parent presents a case to a judge, the |
| interest of the child, and each parent should have | | | | judge can accept either parents' agreement, take |
| enough time with the child to continue to develop and | | | | parts from both agreements, or create an entire new |
| nurture their relationship. | | | | one. Once a plan is accepted by the court in Illinois it |
| Another important part of the agreement is how the | | | | becomes a legal document and the parents are |
| parents will make major decisions for the child. This | | | | required to follow it. |