What Duties Do Parents Have in a Divorce?

 Posted on October 14, 2025 in Family Law

Divorcing as a parent should be handled with special care, as you have to consider how the end of the marriage will impact your child’s welfare. During this process, both you and your spouse will have important decisions to make, even if you do not see eye-to-eye on every issue. With the help of a skilled St. Charles, IL family law attorney, you can carefully navigate these issues in court.

When your child’s well-being is at stake, it may be prudent to seek strong legal counsel. At Weiler & Associates, Inc., we have helped clients through intense custody proceedings with successful results. We can inform you of your responsibilities and help you plan for a healthy resolution to child custody and other relevant issues.

Allocating Parenting Time and Decision-Making Responsibilities in a Divorce

When parents split up, the question of custody may be a complicated one. Parents will have to decide where the child will live after the divorce, which could entail living in two separate households throughout the year, or one household with the other parent visiting regularly. This facet of custody is known as parenting time. Figuring out the right schedule for parenting time may be difficult when parents have conflicting schedules, or if the child has special needs that require regular treatment or accommodations.

Divorcing parents also have a duty to allocate decision-making responsibility, which determines who gets to make important choices on behalf of the child regarding school, healthcare, religion, and extracurricular activities (750 ILCS 5/602.5). When deciding who should get decision-making responsibility, the courts may consider the parents’ ability to work together, among many other factors.

Who Pays Child Support After a Divorce?

A parent living away from the child is not a justification to shirk his or her responsibilities. The main purpose of child support is to enforce a parent’s financial responsibility after a divorce, ensuring that the child gets access to both parents’ resources.

As a rule, the parent with less parenting time throughout the year will be responsible for paying for child support. If you have any concerns about your ability to pay child support or you require additional support, our family law attorneys can advocate for you in court.

Post-Divorce Responsibilities for Parents

After your divorce, it is likely that you and your ex will still have to remain in regular contact to communicate about your child. Though not strictly required by law, it is often highly advisable to keep the other parent informed of developments in the child’s life. You may also have to revisit your custody agreement in response to changing circumstances. Our attorneys can help you negotiate a modification of custody, working closely with you to avoid unnecessary strain in your family.

Contact a Kane County, IL Child Custody Lawyer

Figuring out your responsibilities as a parent can be overwhelming by yourself. At Weiler & Associates, Inc., we can guide you through your divorce, helping you address the most critical issues. To schedule an initial consultation with our St. Charles, IL family law attorneys, call our offices at 630-331-9110 today.