Three Important Terms to Know in Illinois Child Custody Cases

 Posted on October 07, 2025 in Child Custody / Parental Responsibilities

Divorcing as a parent can be intimidating. You will have to view your bond with your child through a legal lens and make a case for a parenting arrangement that aligns with the court’s standards. You will also have to familiarize yourself with some potentially unfamiliar terminology. A Cook County, IL family law attorney can guide you through the custody proceedings and keep you informed of your rights.

Since 1984, The Law Offices of Curtis Bennett Ross, L.L.C. has stood as a devoted advocate for families across Cook County. As an experienced divorce lawyer and a certified guardian ad litem, Attorney Curtis Ross is qualified to advise you in your custody case.

Three Terms to Know in a Divorce With Children

It is easy to feel overwhelmed when confronted with legal jargon in a court case. In a child custody case, you will want to familiarize yourself with these terms ahead of time.

The Child’s Best Interests

In general, major custody decisions revolve around a standard known as "the child’s best interests." This may sound self-explanatory, but it actually refers to a very specific set of factors laid out in 750 ILCS 5/602.7, such as the child’s unique needs, the distance between each parent’s home, and the willingness of each parent to foster the child’s relationship with the other parent.

The courts usually assume that the parents know what is best for their child, and as such, many custody cases are settled outside of court with a judge’s approval. If a custody case goes to trial, the judge’s ruling will be informed by the best interests factors.

Parenting Time

Illinois legislation has stopped using terms like "custody" and "visitation" to describe who gets physical possession of a child in a divorce. Instead, the state now refers to these matters under the umbrella term of "parenting time."

There are many different ways you could feasibly divide up parenting time in your divorce. Some parents opt for a 50/50 split across the year, but this may not work for all families. A skilled family law attorney can help you create a reasonable schedule for parenting time that prioritizes your child’s needs while still protecting your parental rights.

Decision-Making Responsibility

Parenting time is only one aspect of a custody arrangement. In your divorce, you and your spouse will also have to decide who will get to make important life choices for the child. In Illinois, this facet of custody is called decision-making responsibility. 

Decision-making responsibility covers issues like a child’s education, medical care, extracurricular activities, and religious upbringing, if any. Parents may govern separate issues, or they can share input on issues. You should also go over how you and your spouse will resolve any potential disputes about decision-making responsibility in the future.

Contact a Chicago, IL Child Custody Lawyer

If you need guidance and legal counsel about how to handle a divorce with children, reach out to The Law Offices of Curtis Bennett Ross, L.L.C. today. Our Cook County, IL family law attorney is available for free limited consultations at 312-984-1514.