Parents facing divorce or separation in Illinois hear terms like “custody,” “parenting time,” and “decision-making responsibilities.” These phrases carry enormous weight, because they determine how a child will be raised and how much influence each parent will have in that process. One question that parents often have is whether sole custody is possible in Illinois and, if so, what it means in practice.
As of September 2025, Illinois family law continues to use the relatively new term of “allocation of parental responsibilities” in the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (750 ILCS 5/600). While the word “custody” is still used in everyday conversation, Illinois law now divides this larger topic into two key categories: parenting time and decision-making. Sole custody is possible, but it looks different under modern law than many parents expect.