Many Springfield, Illinois, residents get very focused on how much time they get to spend with their children and for good reason. After all, it is very hard for a dad to bond with his children and develop his relationship with them if he’s only allowed to see them on a very limited basis.

However, dads should also be concerned about advocating for one of the most important fathers’ rights, which is the right to ask an Illinois court hearing their custody case to award joint legal custody.

A father having joint legal custody is a huge step toward full blown shared parenting of the children, as it gives the father a say in all significant decisions in his children’s lives. While what is or is not a significant decision may be the subject of debate, it is clear that a father who does not have joint legal custody isn’t going to be able to do much about the child’s schooling, religious upbringing and medical care, all of which are huge issues in which a dad is going to want to help make.

It is important for Illinois dads to remember that, unlike some other states, Illinois does not use joint legal custody as a starting point when it comes to making decisions about the best interests of a couple’s children. This means that a father who wants joint legal custody is going to have to prove to a judge that it is in the best interests of his children that he be involved in and help make important parenting decisions.

Doing this could take some skill and experience since it might involve convincing a judge that joint custody would be in the child’s best interest. Fortunately, our Springfield family law attorneys are able to assist dads in seeking joint custody.

Source: FindLaw, “Joint Custody,” accessed November 20, 2017