Although it is hard to believe, summer break is just around the corner. For children, the end of the school year is often an event that kids look forward to all year. For divorced and unmarried co-parents, however, the end of the school year can bring significant challenges.

Managing a co-parenting schedule in which both parents have parenting time is difficult under the best circumstances. It can be even harder to maintain the schedule and communicate with the other parent about child-related concerns during summer break. If you are a divorced parent sharing custody, consider the following co-parenting tips this spring and summer.

Communicate Early and Often With the Other Parent

Talking to your ex may not be your favorite thing in the world, but it is important to keep the lines of communication open. If your ex has a history of forgetting important child-related information or your relationship with him or her is contentious, it may be best to communicate through written words. Consider using e-mail or text messages to discuss child-related schedules or other information. This ensures that there is a record of what was said and when.

If you or your child's other parent intends to move to a new home, it is important that you understand the legal requirements for doing so. When someone is co-parenting with an ex, moving is not as simple as packing up the belongings and driving to the new residence. Depending on the distance between the current residence and the new residence, there may be specific steps you need to take to be able to move with your child.

Determine if Your Move Counts as a Relocation

To understand the rights and responsibilities regarding parental relocations, you must first determine if the intended move meets the criteria for relocation under Illinois law. The location of the child's primary residence and the distance between the current residence and new residence determines whether or not a move counts as a relocation.

If you live in one of the following "collar" counties, a move of 25 miles or greater is considered a relocation. If your intended relocation is less than 25 miles, no further action is needed.

Parenting time, sometimes called visitation in casual conversation, is the time that a parent supervises a child and meets his or her everyday needs. In Illinois, the amount of parenting time a parent has is described in the parenting plan. Divorced and never-married parents may be able to negotiate the terms of their parenting plan or, if they cannot agree, the court will issue a parenting plan.

Many people have questions about how parenting time affects child support. Do you pay less in child support if you have the children more often? Can a parent reduce his or her child support obligation by taking on a greater amount of parenting time?  

Child Support Laws in Illinois

In 2023, Illinois uses a child support calculation methodology called “Income Shares.” Each parent’s net income and the number of children shared between the parents determine the overall amount of financial support paid by the parents. The parent with the majority of the parenting time receives child support payments from the parent with a lesser amount of parenting time. Since he or she has the child most of the time, the parent with the majority of the parenting time provides his or her financial support by paying for child-related expenses directly.

Whether you are unmarried or planning to divorce, child custody matters may be at the top of your mind. In Illinois, child custody is broken down into two main components. The allocation of parental responsibilities is the allocation of decision-making authority over the child. Parental responsibilities address questions such as where the child will go to school or what type of medical care the child will receive. Parenting time is the second component in a child custody case. Parenting time is the time a parent watches the child and is directly responsible for the child’s safety and well-being.   

Child custody issues in a divorce or family law can be confusing, and there are many myths surrounding these complex issues. Read on to learn more.

Myth: Mothers Always Get the Majority of the Parenting Time and Parental Responsibilities

Many people assume that mothers are favored over fathers in a child custody case. However, Illinois law does not differentiate between women and men with regard to family law matters. Both mothers and fathers have the same right to parenting time and parental responsibilities. However, courts do seek to preserve the status quo in many cases. So, if a child has traditionally spent more time with his mother, the court may award her a greater share of the parenting time or responsibilities.

Courts generally presume that both parents are capable of providing adequate supervision and care for a child. Unless there is a reason to believe otherwise, parents are generally given the right to have unrestricted parenting time (previously called visitation) with their child.

However, the child's best interests are always the top priority in a child custody or divorce case. If there are concerns about a child's safety or a parent's ability to provide a safe environment for the child, the court may order supervised visitation.

Supervised Visitation and Other Parenting Time Restrictions

In some family law cases, a parent or other party raises concerns about the other parent's ability to keep a child safe. In a situation like this, they can petition the court for a parenting time restriction. There are many different types of parenting time restrictions, including limitations on the amount or frequency of parenting time, limitations on who may be present during parenting time, or requirements regarding the transportation of children between the two parents' homes. The court may also require parenting time to be supervised.