There are two types of custody: child custody, which involves making decisions about the child, and physical custody, which is when the child is in his or her parent’s physical care. Illinois law refers to child custody as “parental responsibilities” and refers to physical custody as “parenting time.”
By default, the law prefers that both parents share parental responsibilities and parenting time more or less equally. The mother and father have equal rights to the child, and courts are very reluctant to interfere with those rights. Therefore, a judge will award sole custody to one parent only in certain cases. The best way to find out if you are eligible for sole custody is to consult an Illinois child custody lawyer.
When Do Courts Award Sole Custody?
In any custody trial, the court has two objectives: protect the child and preserve the rights of the parents. However, if those two objectives conflict, the court will protect the child. This means that if a parent is a threat to the well-being of his or her child, the court may restrict that parent’s rights.