What Are the Types of Parental Responsibilities in Child Custody Cases?

 Posted on February 07, 2020 in Child Custody

If you have children and are getting a divorce, you will need to work together with the other parent on the allocation of parental responsibilities. Overall, this allocation requires deliberation upon four main facets of a child’s life and all of the parental duties associated with each area. While there could be other additional topics that the court and the parents might consider, these four cover most of the child’s needs.

What Categories Are Considered When Allocating Parental Responsibilities?

While custody decisions will determine the specifics of both parents’ time with their children, including differences in schedules based on holidays and vacations, there are also some other subjects that need to be discussed throughout the process. Specifically, when allocating parental responsibilities, all parties involved must consider responsibilities for these four main categories, the particular elements of which would be further detailed in the parenting plan:

1. Education—This involves everything regarding the child’s schooling, such as:

   • Which school to attend and how major education decisions will be determined

   • Who transports the child to and from school, when, and how often

   • Who will pay for what amount/portion of the child’s educational costs, including school enrollment fees, private school tuition, and the costs of books or school supplies

   • What to do if a child faces disciplinary action in school

   • What to do if a child has an emergency at school

   • What to do if a child needs parental permission/approval for specific school-related activities or events

   • The child’s meals at school (who will make them, who will provide money for them, etc.)

2. Health—This category has everything to do with your child’s healthcare and medical needs. Among the responsibilities determined in this category are:

   • Who will pay for the child’s medical expenses and whose insurance will cover such expenses

   • Which doctors the child will see

   • Who transports the child to and from doctor’s appointments/procedures/treatments, when, and how often

   • Who will ensure the child is taking his or her medicine and receiving any treatments as prescribed by doctors

   • Who will monitor the child’s medical conditions, when, and how often (if any such conditions exist)

   • How major medical decisions will be determined, including when faced with a medical emergency

   • How the child’s food and nutrition will be provided for

   • How the child’s exercise needs will be met

3. Religion—This covers the religious needs of the child, if any. In particular, it deals with:

   • What religion the child will be raised in and how that determination is made and reinforced

   • Who transports the child to and from church services or other religious events, when, and how often

   • Whether the child will engage in prayer, bible study, or any other religious activities outside of his or her place of worship, where, when, how often, and who is responsible for adherence to these religious plans and needs

4. Extracurricular Activities—This includes everything your child does outside of school, including:

   •  Who transports the child to and from social events/activities with friends, when, and how often

   •  How engagement in athletics/sports is determined, including who transports the child to and from practice or sporting events, how often, and when

   • Assistance with any other needs—financial or otherwise—regarding other clubs, groups, organizations, etc. that the child participates in outside of school

Contact a Wheaton Divorce Attorney

If you need to figure out how to address the allocation of your responsibilities as a parent, call a DuPage County child custody lawyer at 630-871-1002 for a free consultation. With the help of the skilled attorneys at Andrew Cores Family Law Group, you will be able to create a parenting plan that fairly assigns parental duties between you and your ex-spouse.

Sources:

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/custom-media/roundtable-custody-family-law.html

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=070504050HArt%2E+I&ActID=1863&ChapterID=0&SeqStart=100000&SeqEnd=2300000

https://www.dcba.org/page/FAQJuvenile