Parental Responsibilities and Visitation 

Our Illinois child custody attorneys ease the pain in an emotional process. 

Although one parent may divorce the other, neither can break the close bond they have with their children. Child custody can be an emotional subject during divorce, especially if the parents’ separation is less than amicable. When a client has an experienced attorney fighting on their behalf, the process can be much less stressful. 

At Schiller DuCanto & Fleck, we provide clients with skilled parental responsibility representation in Chicago, Lake Forest, and Wheaton.

What Is the Ideal Custody Arrangement?  

Public policy has encouraged divorcing parents to raise their children by way of a Joint Parenting Agreement. Reasonable, caring parents who understand the importance of properly raising their children may reach agreements with the help of visitation rights lawyers and other Illinois parenting plan experts. If joint parenting is not possible because some parents do not have the ability to place their children’s best interests before their own, the courts are always available to litigate their differences. In matters concerning parental rights and responsibilities of minor children, litigation is always the last, and possibly necessary, resort.  

Schiller DuCanto & Fleck has trained Illinois child custody attorneys who use a collaborative process to fashion parenting agreements that spare their children the destructive experience of litigation. However, our lawyers are available to represent their clients’ interests in court if a trial is necessary.

Hague Convention Cases 

With the ever-increasing mobility of American society, frequently parents wish to move to another state for employment, health, or remarriage. Either the parent wishing to move obtains the express consent of the other parent, or the moving parent must obtain permission from the court to move the minor children out of state. A removal case is commonly more contentious than a parenting dispute since there is more at risk. Schiller DuCanto & Fleck’s Chicago child custody lawyers are skilled at achieving the best possible resolution for its Illinois clients through negotiations, by working with experts, or through hearings.

In addition to out-of-state relocation, a rising number of cases now involve a parent taking their child outside the United States. When this parent does so without the knowledge or authorized permission from the other parent, the Hague Convention Treaty comes into play. The purpose of this international treaty is to return children abducted by one parent and taken to another country. Schiller DuCanto & Fleck has handled a significant number of these international custody cases. We are substantially qualified to address this litigation at the state and federal level. 

Our experience covers every aspect of parental responsibility and visitation rights cases. Our team includes former judges who presided over parenting proceedings and counsel experienced in all phases of parenting litigation. This well-rounded legal group provides clients with the most capable representation possible when fighting this sensitive issue. 

*Effective 1/1/16 a new law became effective that eliminated the use of the word “custody” from the statute. Instead, the revised statute uses terms like “parental responsibilities,” “parenting time” and “parenting plan.” 

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