Child Custody and Visitation

Illinois Child Custody, Visitation, and Interstate Relocation

When divorcing parents are unable to agree about where their children will reside during and following completion of the divorce case, the personal and emotional issues can just as complicated as the legal considerations—after all, nothing less than your future relationship with your children is at stake in a child custody dispute. Contact Illinois family law attorney Thomas W. Hunter for practical advice and experienced representation in the resolution of your child custody or visitation problem.

At the Barrington office of Thomas W. Hunter, Attorney at Law, we have worked with divorcing parents for more than 30 years, and know how difficult it can be to resolve disagreements as to which parent should receive primary custody of the children. We therefore work closely with our child custody clients to make sure that your objectives and decisions are based on a clear understanding of your rights and responsibilities under Illinois law, so that you can define your own objectives in realistic terms. Once your goals and priorities are established, we can then go to work for you in order to achieve them, whether they involve winning a grant of primary custody of your children, or obtaining regular visitation rights under favorable terms.

Illinois child custody disputes, if taken to court, are resolved by the judge in terms of the best interests of the children involved. Various factors specified in the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act must be taken into account, but within the statutory limits, the court's discretion to award primary custody of a child to one parent or the other is very broad.

Our experience allows us to present your strengths as a parent, or the other spouse's shortcomings, on the basis of detailed evidence developed and presented at a contested child custody hearing. Protecting in advance your interests in cases where either parent is considering relocation to another state or a foreign country. If the other parent moves your child out of state or overseas without proper notice and arrangements for regular visitation, Our firm will engage such laws as the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act or the Hague Convention in order to protect your rights on an interstate or international basis.

We also help parents who need legal advice about modifying or enforcing terms of child custody or visitation decree. For a free consultation about protecting your rights as a parent in the northern and western suburbs of Chicago, contact our Barrington office.