Chicago Visitation Attorneys
Children are at the center of many family law disputes. While a parent has every right to pursue visitation, an abusive or unstable history may provide reason for him or her to have these rights limited. But how can you ensure that your child or children will be protected? How can you prove that you are deserving of visitation?
Nottage and Ward is not your average family law firm. In being listed by Martindale-Hubbell in its Bar Register of Pre-eminent Lawyers, Nottage and Ward continues to provide clients with effective legal representation by utilizing aggressive tactics and viable resources. We see time and time again how the cloud of emotions can make decisions difficult to grasp for those dealing with visitation matters during a major turning point in their lives and the lives of the children involved.
Visitation is highly complex and choosing an attorney to handle your case should not be done without much consideration. When visitation matters arise from divorce, domestic violence protection, separation, paternity, neglect, abuse, guardianship, or termination of parental rights, you need an experienced legal team that knows how to work together to provide you with rational solutions that will be in the best interest of all children involved.
Chapter 750 Section 607 of the Illinois Compiled Statues (ILCS) states that a parent who is not given custody of a child is permitted to practical visitation rights. Aside from a non-custodial parent, grandparents, great-grandparents, and siblings (brothers, sisters, stepbrothers, or stepsisters) of the minor child may also request visitation by bringing an action in circuit court by petition. Since the court always considers the best interest of the child, a court may deny unsupervised visitation if it is believed that a child’s physical, emotional, moral, or mental health will be seriously endangered. While visitation is defined as "in-person" time, qualifying individuals may request electronic communication either through telephone, electronic mail, instant messages, video conference, or through additional technology.
Chicago visitation issues are handled through child-custody paternity or divorce proceedings. A petition for visitation with a child by an individual other than a parent must be filed in the county in which the child lives. The state of Illinois defines "child-custody determination" as a decree, judgment, or other order made by a court establishing the legal custody, physical custody, or visitation of a child. This can relate to a permanent, temporary, initial, and modification order but does not include an order having to do with child support or other monetary obligations.
According to the Uniform Child-Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act covered under Chapter 750 of ILCS, a court in Illinois that does not have the authority to modify a child-custody determination may issue a temporary visitation order enforcing a visitation schedule created by a court of another state or enforcing the visitation requirements of a child-custody determination of another state that does not present a specific visitation schedule. The court is expected to provide a detailed period of time in which the petitioner can obtain an order from a court having jurisdiction to issue a child-custody determination. The temporary visitation order will stay in effect until an order is received from the other court or when the allotted period of time comes to an end.
Visitation requires critical decisions to be made that are connected to a web of other vital decisions for the family law matter at hand. No matter what you are facing, do not do anything rash. Help is available and solutions to ensure the safety and well-being of your child are viable and within reach. Take control of your situation and call Nottage and Ward at 312-332-2915 to speak with a skilled Chicago family law attorney. There is too much at stake not to.
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