How to Make the Most of Your Illinois Parenting Agreement

 Posted on June 06,2019 in Family Law

Many parents who get divorced choose to co-parent their child. If you plan on sharing custody—formally called the allocation of parental responsibilities—with your child’s other parent, you will be required to create a parenting agreement. This agreement is used by the courts as a way of establishing how parental responsibility of a child is shared between two unmarried parents.

There are certain elements of the parenting agreement which you must include, but you are free to include as much additional information as you want. A parenting agreement can become more than just another piece of paperwork which you must fill out; it can form the foundation of a healthy, productive, and cooperative co-parenting relationship.

What Must Be Included in an Illinois Parenting Agreement

Certain information is required to be entered into an Illinois parenting agreement. These items include but are not limited to:

• The child’s residential address for school enrollment purposes;
•  Transportation arrangements;
• The residential address, employment address, phone number, and employment phone number of each parent;
• Directions for how parental responsibility and parenting time will be allocated;
• A determination of who the primary custodian, or parent with the majority of parental responsibility, will be;
• Directions about decision-making regarding the child’s upbringing;
• When and how the parent without parenting time will communicate with the child;
• Provisions regarding each parent’s right to access the child’s medical records, school reports, and other important records;
• The obligation of each parent obligation to notify the other of any emergencies, health care concerns, travel plans, and other important information about the child;
• The obligation for a parent to give 60 days’ written notice if he or she moves addresses;
• Whether the right of first refusal applies and details about how it will be exercised.

How You Can Maximize the Benefits of a Parenting Agreement

Instead of simply filling out the parenting agreement like you would any other document, make the parenting agreement an opportunity to discuss your co-parenting plans with your child’s other parent. Include discussions about how you plan to raise the child, any religious or cultural events you want the child to attend, and the rules you want the child to abide by.

Children have a much easier time adjusting to a two-house family when there is a certain level of consistency between the two houses. You can even use this opportunity to discuss possible future concerns such as how and when to introduce a new dating partner to the child. While only certain elements of your agreement will be legally binding, putting these agreements in writing will encourage both parents to follow through with the promises they made.

Contact a Rolling Meadows Family Law Attorney

If you need legal assistance with issues related to parental responsibilities, child support, or other family law matters, contact an experienced Arlington Heights family law attorney from Cosley Law Office. Call us today at 847-253-3100 to schedule a free consultation

Sources:

https://www.verywellfamily.com/how-to-draft-a-custody-agreement-2997130

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?ActID=2086&SeqStart=8300000&SeqEnd=10000000