There are two types of child custody: one is physical custody, which is when a child is physically under a parent’s care. Illinois law refers to this as “parenting time.”
The other type of custody is called legal custody. This refers to making major decisions about the child, such as:
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Medical decisions, like whether to follow natural medicine or conventional medicine
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Educational decisions, like where the child will go to school
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Religious upbringing, like which faith the child will practice and to what degree
When it comes to parenting time, state law and many child development experts agree that both parents should be involved as much as possible. Illinois courts therefore prefer to award both parents joint physical custody by default, excepting certain cases like if one of the parents is abusive or neglectful.