According to Illinois law, a “guardian” is defined as a person, institution, or agency appointed by a court to manage the affairs of another person, who is referred to as their “ward.” When a child turns 18, his or her parents do not have legal guardianship at that point, since the child is now considered an adult. However, a guardian may be appointed on behalf of an adult who is disabled due to a mental illness, physical incapacity, or developmental disability.

When parents choose to get a divorce, they will need to determine when children will spend time with each parent. While it is important to create and follow a regular parenting time schedule, parents can still choose to be flexible, and they may be able to agree to make changes to the schedule as needed. One common situation in which changes may be necessary occurs when the kids are out of school for holidays or summer breaks. During vacations, children have more free time to spend with each parent, and so parents should work together to determine a schedule that is in the best interests of the children.

Scheduling Factors

In many divorces, children will reside with one parent for the majority of the time while spending some amount of parenting time with the other parent. However, some divorced couples are able to share equal or near-equal amounts of parenting time. While these arrangements provide consistency during the school year, schedules may need to be adjusted during the children’s summer vacation. When creating a summer parenting schedule, many factors come into play, including the children’s ages, the distance between the parents’ homes, parents’ work schedules, and plans for summer activities.

Many people who get divorced often find love and happiness again in second marriages. A step-family, sometimes called a “blended” or “bonus” family, is a family in which at least one parent has children from a previous marriage or relationship. Blended families can be wonderful, especially when step-parents wish to adopt the children of their spouse as a way of making their family more “complete.” This is referred to as a related adoption, since one of the adoptive parents is related to the child who is being adopted. In fact, this is the most common form of adoption in North America. 

A step-parent who adopts his or her stepchild agrees to become that child’s legal parent and to be fully responsible for the child until the child is an adult. Once the adoption is final, the other biological parent’s name is replaced with the adopting parent’s name on the child’s birth certificate. In some cases, the child’s name may also be changed on the birth certificate.

When a couple makes the decision to end their marriage, they may expect the divorce process to be hostile and contested. However, many aspects of a divorce can be settled between spouses in an amicable and respectful manner. One of the most effective ways to resolve the issues involved in a divorce case is through mediation. 

What Is Divorce Mediation? 

Here in the United States, mediation is one of the most common methods of dispute resolution used by divorcing couples. Mediation is a process in which the two spouses work together with a third-party mediator to reach a divorce settlement that works for both spouses. 

Every year, thousands of American couples make the difficult decision to pursue a divorce. A divorce can represent an opportunity to start a new and independent life. However, when children are involved, the divorce process can be incredibly tense. For fathers, a divorce can be frightening, considering the overwhelming statistical evidence that the majority of sole-custody parents are mothers. If you are looking to secure significant parental responsibilities as a father, you need quality legal assistance. 

Securing Parenting Time and Parental Responsibilities 

Due to recent changes in Illinois’ state law, child custody is now referred to as the “allocation of parental responsibilities.” While both parents will typically receive some amount of “parenting time” (as long as there are no issues regarding domestic abuse or other criminal activity), one parent may still be the primary residential parent. As a father, it is important to understand the steps you need to take in order to remain a primary figure in your child’s life, including: