When trying to determine what is in the best interest of a very young child in a contested child custody proceeding, judges will look at many factors. Continuity of care often weighs heavily in a judges determination when it comes to young’s kids who cannot make heads or tails out of a divorce, let alone parenting time and parental responsibility issues.
Although, ostensibly and as a matter of fairness to both parents and the child, courts seek to maximize time with both parents, sometimes the day-to-day care of a child in diapers who has formed a particularly close emotional attachment to one parent may result in less shifting around between households in the early stages to serve the best interests of the child.
As kids grow older and are able to handle varied environments, while taking into account other factors such as school attendance and distance between parents homes for example, roughly equal time with both parents is the goal barring problems such as abuse or neglect.
That said, regardless of what a court determines is in the child’s best interests at certain stages of development, it is important to many judges that parents show a willingness to facilitate the child relationship with the other parent.
Refusing Child Visitation With Other Parent
There are cases, however, where a parent does not want the other parent to have contact with the child, believing it is not in the child’s best interest. If a parent interferes with the other parent’s attempts to maintain a relationship with the child, it will not go over well with the court especially when a parenting time agreement says otherwise.
If a parent believes that his or her situation justifies protecting a child from another parent, then it is important to contact a family law attorney as soon as possible. It may be that new details have emerged that show that the current parenting time arrangement is not in the best interests of the child because of various factors including a substance abuse issue, neglect or abuse directed at the child in the other parents home, or other concerns that are detrimental to the child.
Contact Our Libertyville Child Custody Attorneys for Help
If you have a questions or concerns regarding child custody when children are very young and Illinois parenting time or parental responsibility laws, contact the Libertyville family law offices of Schlesinger & Strauss LLC for answers at 847-680-4970.
