Illinois Child Custody, Visitation, and Child Support

Protecting Your Rights in Illinois Child Custody and Child Support Cases

Child custody decisions are the hardest decisions that must be made in divorce—whether they are made by the couple themselves or by a Chicago family court judge.

A poor decision now can have very unpleasant consequences for children and parents later on. It is vitally important that a parent be able to count on his or her child custody attorney to be a tough advocate, providing honest advice to ensure that the children’s best interests guide the process.

At the Boyd Law Firm, we make sure parents understand their options and have the information they need to make good decisions on every detail of the child custody and child support agreement so they can minimize problems later. For more than 10 years, Cook County child custody attorney Donald Boyd has been guiding clients through the process of reaching child support and child custody agreements—or taking their cases to court.

When you need tough, smart, and ethical legal representation in a child custody matter, contact our Chicago or Forest Park law office to schedule a free initial consultation. Learn more about how we can help you retain or regain your relationship with your child.

Obtaining Child Custody and Change in Custody

When a parent seeks custody of a child during initial divorce or paternity proceedings, they need to demonstrate that it is in the child’s best interest to be with them. They don’t need to show that the other parent is unfit. Some ways to show that a child should be with you include:

• Desire to have the child live with you
• Demonstrating your involvement in your child’s life (in school activities, medical appointments, sports, and shared activities)
• Positive relationships and interactions between parent and child
• Supportive home, school, and community environment
• Willingness to encourage a continuing relationship with the other parent

If you are seeking to change an existing child custody agreement, your task can be much harder. Now you must prove that the other parent is unfit or that there has been a substantial change of circumstances that is affecting the child’s health or welfare. The court wants children to have stability, and generally won’t consider a change of custody within the first two years or a family court order or agreement except in cases of significant abuse.

It can be hard to get a change in custody, but the Boyd Law Firm has been successful in handling just such difficult issues, helping several fathers to gain custody of children who badly needed a change. If you believe that it is in your child’s best interest to be in your custody, contact our office to talk with attorney Donald Boyd in a free consultation. It is often a challenging type of case, but our firm is prepared to meet that challenge.

Child Support, Modification of Child Support Orders, and Non-Payment of Child Support Issues

Seeking a Change in Your Child Support Payment

Cook County family law judges are guided by Illinois Child Support Guidelines in setting orders for child support, but there is still opportunity to seek more or less support based upon circumstances of the child or of the parent who is paying child support.

We assist parents who are seeking a modification of a child support order, either to lower their child support payments or to obtain an increase in what they are receiving on behalf of their children. If you are seeking a change in child support, we can help you prove the necessity of the change to the court.

Help with Non-Payment of Child Support

We assist custodial parents with enforcement of child support orders when they are not receiving their court-ordered child support.

We also help parents who are in arrears in their child support payment to negotiate with the court and begin a repayment plan in order to save their drivers’ license and avoid other negative consequences of not paying child support. Contact our office in Cook County or Forest Park for a free consultation and prompt legal help.

Evening and weekend appointments available by request