Your Family Matters

Protecting Your Relationship With Your Children

For children, their parents’ divorce is a devastating experience. It is especially difficult if they are drawn into the conflict. Their relationships with one or both parents can be damaged forever.

At Kerley & Talken PC, our goal is to help you protect your relationship with your children at a time when that relationship is threatened by divorce. Our lawyers also represent unmarried fathers who want to be involved in their child’s life. Call 217-814-0148 for a free initial consultation. We serve parents in Springfield and other communities in central Illinois.

Keeping Conflict To A Minimum

In Illinois, the legal term for child custody is the allocation of parental responsibilities and parenting time. In most cases, the parents will share decision-making authority. The child typically will have one home base, while the other parent has regular overnight visits.

In the past, the parent without primary residential custody would typically have overnight visits on alternate weekends and holidays, plus an extended visit during the summer. However, many different arrangements are possible. The goal of your parenting plan should be to provide quality time with both parents, unless there is a strong reason (such as abuse) why one parent should have limited access.

Whenever possible, you and your spouse should try to reach a negotiated settlement. Litigating the allocation of parenting time in court can be costly both financially and emotionally. It can also create lasting bitterness that can make it more difficult to cooperate on parenting issues in the future.

Parenting time modifications: Your time-sharing arrangement can be modified in the future if your family’s circumstances change.

For More Information About Parenting Time

Contact us for a free consultation to discuss parenting time. Call 217-814-0148 or complete our contact form to talk to an attorney.