What Does a Parenting Plan Need to Include in Illinois?

 Posted on February 28, 2025 in Child Custody / Allocation of Parental Responsibilities

If you and your spouse are planning on divorcing with children, you will be required to submit a parenting plan to the court. This is a legal document that details how you and your co-parent will raise your child for the foreseeable future. Spouses may decide to fill out a joint parenting plan or, if they do not agree about how to handle parenting time and parental responsibilities, create separate plans to submit to a judge.

An Illinois divorce attorney can walk you through this process to make sure that your parenting plan addresses all relevant issues. At Calabrese Associates, P.C., we will provide you with steadfast legal representation and insights based on our 30 years of experience in family law.

Decision-Making Responsibilities

Formerly known as legal custody, parental responsibilities must be addressed in your parenting plan. These responsibilities may include instructions for schooling, healthcare decisions, religion, and extracurricular activities. In some cases, one parent may have sole authority over these decisions. Yet in many other cases, both parents have input into decision-making responsibility.

Parental responsibilities should not be taken lightly. The plan you submit to the court could remain in effect for years, and modifying it is no easy task. At Calabrese Associates, P.C., our family law attorney can advocate for a favorable solution on your behalf, whether through mediation or in the courtroom.

Parenting Time

Formerly known as physical custody or visitation, parenting time is a schedule that determines which parent the child will stay with and when. Parenting time can be split in a variety of ways according to the child’s needs. The schedule might resemble a 50/50 split across the year, or the child might have one primary residence while the other parent sees the child on weekends.

The allocation of parenting time should be done with your child’s needs in mind. Your child might be attached to his or her community, school, or friends in the area. At Calabrese Associates, P.C., we can help you come up with a parenting time agreement that accommodates your family’s unique needs.

Dispute Resolution

A parenting plan must also cover how you and your co-parent will address future issues outside of court. If you had a mostly amicable split, this may not be a significant hurdle. However, in more tense divorces, this warrants a serious conversation with your ex. A healthy joint custody agreement can only be achieved if you and your co-parent are willing to work together.

If disagreements arise after your divorce is finalized, you might decide to resolve all disputes through mediation. Other methods of dispute resolution may be more informal. Additionally, your parenting plan may factor in how you and your spouse will communicate about your child.

Contact a DuPage County, IL Child Custody Lawyer Today

Drafting a parenting plan requires a heavy degree of cooperation. If negotiations break down between you and your ex, you may have to go to court to get a parenting plan approved. At Calabrese Associates, P.C., our Naperville, IL family law attorney can help you resolve a custody dispute in an uncontested or contested divorce. Call our offices at 630-393-3111 for a consultation.