Geneva Child Custody Attorney
Custody Issues for Non-Married Parents
In Illinois, unmarried parents face different issues when seeking child custody. Mothers are established by the biological birth of the child while an unmarried father seeking custody will have to prove his parentage. Unmarried fathers might be subject to a court ordered child support obligation.
If you are seeking custody of your child and are unmarried, the experienced custody issues for non-married parents attorney at the The Law Offices of Douglas B. Warlick & Associates can protect your rights and help you address the custody issues in your case.
Child Custody in Illinois
If parents are unmarried at the time of a child’s birth, the court must first establish paternity if a petition for child support is brought before it, or if the custodial parent is seeking child support. By completing the State’s Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity form at the time of his child’s birth, the father can establish his paternity and protect his rights. This also allows the father to be listed on the birth certificate.
When a father wants to establish his custody rights, it is advisable that the unmarried couple, living together as a family unit, petitions the courts for recognition of parentage and custody determination. When a case is on file with the courts, temporary and long-term rights for each parent, after the breakup of the family unit, can be established.
Under Illinois’s Parentage Act of 1984 the custodial parent can petition for child support, back to the date the child was born. The Illinois law does not, however, protect an unmarried father from the mother moving his child out of state, thereby limiting the visitation of the father.
Contact Our Skilled Child Custody Lawyer
The Law Offices of Douglas B. Warlick & Associates know the rights of non-married parents are important to all involved. We can offer the kind of skilled and knowledgeable legal representation to unmarried parents in custody cases that gets positive results. You can depend on our firm for effective and affordable representation, delivered for more than 30 years. From our Geneva office, we can accommodate clients throughout Illinois, including St. Charles, Elgin, Batavia, Aurora, Naperville, Oswego, and Yorkville. Contact us at 630-232-9700 to set up a discounted rate initial consultation.
