Divorce can be painful and contentious, especially when child custody battles are part of it. If the family court judge states that parents will share joint custody of the children, it is essential to determine who will be the primary custodial parent. Both parents usually want to be the primary custodial parent, so there are often many disagreements in this area.
This article highlights the benefits of being the primary custodial parent and other critical information. Have questions about a child custody issue? The Chicago child custody lawyers Gordon Perlut, LLC, can help you.
The biggest benefits of getting primary custody are spending more time parenting and enjoying your children. As they grow older, the time you spend with each child is valuable. In addition, spending time with the kids allows you to influence their upbringing. In divorce, each parent wants to spend more time with their children.
Primary custody means you spend more than 50% of your time with your kids. It also means you have more parenting responsibilities, but most parents are happy with that arrangement.
Many children do not do well when time is split equally between two households. It can mean a lot of travel time and different schedules, both of which can be stressful. There may be many meetings in parking lots and so forth where the children need to be transferred from one parent to the other. This process can be upsetting for children. Also, many divorced parents do not get along well enough to have shared custody.
Primary custody means the children’s living arrangements are more stable. Of course, this does not always mean it is a better arrangement for every child. But more stability for the children is a significant advantage.
The parent with primary custody receives child support payments from the other person in most situations. How much child support often depends on how much time the other parent spends with the child and each of your incomes. If, for instance, the child spends a lot of overnights with your ex, the child support payments could be lowered.
Also, having primary custody can reduce some of your parenting costs. For example, if your children are shared equally between two houses, they often need two of everything they own.
The child tax credit was recently boosted to up to $300 per month per child. The family court usually gives the tax credit to the primary custodial parent, although this is not a rule. This could mean saving a lot on your federal tax bill.
Child custody affects the well-being of your children and how happy they are as they grow up. However, both parents usually want primary custody. Therefore, you should be ready for child custody issues to be a central issue in your divorce. Qualified legal help is available. The Chicago child custody lawyers at Gordon Perlut, LLC, can help.
Our attorneys have an excellent success record and will fight relentlessly to ensure you remain a part of your children’s lives. We serve the communities of Chicago, Evanston, Des Plaines, Park Ridge, Mount Prospect, Elk Grove Village, Glenview, Niles, Prospect Heights, Northbrook, Wheeling, Winnetka, Arlington Heights, Riverside, Rosemont, Rolling Meadows, and Wilmette. Contact our Chicago child custody attorneys at (312) 360-0250.