What’s a Parenting Plan and Do I Need One?

A parenting plan will be established in a parental responsibilities case, previously known as a custody case in Illinois. Parenting plans are helpful in legally documenting who is responsible for making decisions for a child if the parents are separated. Parents may have questions after their divorce about their parenting plan and whether or not it’s necessary for their case. At Goodman Law Firm, attorney Goodman is here to help parents understand parenting plans and how they can impact life after an Illinois divorce. 

What Is a Parenting Plan?

A parenting plan is a document that outlines how parents will raise their children after divorce. It outlines who is responsible for making decisions for the child, as well as parental responsibilities and how parenting time will be split. 

Here are some details included in an Illinois parenting plan:

• Details Regarding the Child’s Overall Well-Being

A parenting plan will include the decisions needed to be made for the child and how they should be made. For example, factors such as medical care, education, and religious upbringing must all be included in a parenting plan if it’s a shared parental responsibility. Shared parental responsibilities, which are seen most often, are when both parents make decisions for the child. Sole parental responsibility is when one parent is designated to make the decisions for the child. Sole responsibility typically occurs if one parent shows no interest in caring for the child or a parent poses a threat to the child’s safety. The parenting plan will address the details that can impact the child’s overall well-being and describe how each factor will be decided upon. In addition, it must outline the proper steps that need to occur if disputes arise about the decisions made. 

• Parenting Time

Parenting time refers to the amount of time that a child gets to spend with each parent after they’re separated. When appropriate, Illinois law will try to abide by shared parenting time, where parents get an equal amount of time with their children per week. For example, each parent could be allotted two days a week with their child, with one spouse receiving the additional three days. In order to achieve fairness, the court could rotate the schedule to allow each spouse to receive the additional days on alternating weeks. The parenting plan will outline the parenting time schedule and who the child should be with at any respective time. 

• Transportation Between Parenting Times

A parenting plan will also need to establish how the child should be transported from one parent to the next for their parenting time. In most cases, parents decide that the individual receiving the child will pick them up from the parent who currently has time with them. Though this is not always the case, the parenting plan will establish how communication should work between parents to ensure their child is properly taken care of. 

Do I Need a Parenting Plan?

Illinois law requires a parenting plan during divorce proceedings. This document will help ensure that any children are cared for appropriately and helps prevent any disputes between parents about their specific responsibilities. Goodman Law Firm can help represent your needs during divorce proceedings and ensure that your concerns are addressed in court. 

Contact Goodman Law Firm Today

If you have questions regarding parenting plans in Illinois, Goodman Law Firm is here to help. We will ensure that your parenting plan allows you a fair amount of time with your children. Contact us today to learn more about our services.