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Illinois specifically allows for the criminal prosecution of a parent who prevents a child from returning to the custodial parent or who interferes with another parent’s right to visitation. Abduction brings to mind images of a stranger that kidnaps children and carries them away to unknown locations. The sad reality is that most child abduction cases are undertaken by someone the child knows, usually a family member or parent.
There is a clear consensus among most mental health professionals that divorce is difficult for children, but many are coming forward to suggest that joint custody arrangements make the process easier for all involved. Recent changes to Illinois divorce law have changed the way that custody is defined, a revision that was designed to make joint parental involvement a reality for many divorcing families.
After child custody, the most hard fought battles in a divorce are over the division of assets. Often one party attempts to hide or shield assets from the divorce court in order to retain the full value of the asset for themselves. With the help of a family law attorney, clients can bring all of the hidden assets to light.
Pets are not treated the same as children in divorce cases, but they are instead regarded as items of marital property subject to equitable property division rules in Illinois. Even though a person may view the family pet as a vital member of the family similar to a child, there are no laws that control custody of pets. People may be able to negotiate pet custody and visitation agreements or litigate the issue in court with custody lawyers.