Sec. 602.5. Allocation of parental responsibilities: decision-making.

620 words·~3 min read·/il/chapter-750/act-5/602-5

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(a)Generally. The court shall allocate decision-making responsibilities according to the child's best interests. Nothing in this Act requires that each parent be allocated decision-making responsibilities.

(b)Allocation of significant decision-making responsibilities. Unless the parents otherwise agree in writing on an allocation of significant decision-making responsibilities, or the issue of the allocation of parental responsibilities has been reserved under Section 401, the court shall make the determination. The court shall allocate to one or both of the parents the significant decision-making responsibility for each significant issue affecting the child. Those significant issues shall include, without limitation, the following:

(1)Education, including the choice of schools and tutors.

(2)Health, including all decisions relating to the medical, dental, and psychological

needs of the child and to the treatments arising or resulting from those needs.

(3)Religion, subject to the following provisions:

(A)The court shall allocate decision-making responsibility for the child's

religious upbringing in accordance with any express or implied agreement between the parents.

(B)The court shall consider evidence of the parents' past conduct as to the child's

religious upbringing in allocating decision-making responsibilities consistent with demonstrated past conduct in the absence of an express or implied agreement between the parents.

(C)The court shall not allocate any aspect of the child's religious upbringing if

it determines that the parents do not or did not have an express or implied agreement for such religious upbringing or that there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate a course of conduct regarding the child's religious upbringing that could serve as a basis for any such order.

(4)Extracurricular activities.

(c)Determination of child's best interests. In determining the child's best interests for purposes of allocating significant decision-making responsibilities, the court shall consider all relevant factors, including, without limitation, the following:

(1)the wishes of the child, taking into account the child's maturity and ability to

express reasoned and independent preferences as to decision-making;

(2)the child's adjustment to his or her home, school, and community;

(3)the mental and physical health of all individuals involved;

(4)the ability of the parents to cooperate to make decisions, or the level of conflict

between the parties that may affect their ability to share decision-making;

(5)the level of each parent's participation in past significant decision-making with

respect to the child;

(6)any prior agreement or course of conduct between the parents relating to

decision-making with respect to the child;

(7)the wishes of the parents;

(8)the child's needs;

(9)the distance between the parents' residences, the cost and difficulty of

transporting the child, each parent's and the child's daily schedules, and the ability of the parents to cooperate in the arrangement;

(10)whether a restriction on decision-making is appropriate under Section 603.10;

(11)the willingness and ability of each parent to facilitate and encourage a close and

continuing relationship between the other parent and the child;

(12)the physical violence or threat of physical violence by the child's parent directed

against the child;

(13)the occurrence of abuse against the child or other member of the child's household;

(14)whether one of the parents is a sex offender, and if so, the exact nature of the

offense and what, if any, treatment in which the parent has successfully participated; and

(15)any other factor that the court expressly finds to be relevant.

(d)A parent shall have sole responsibility for making routine decisions with respect to the child and for emergency decisions affecting the child's health and safety during that parent's parenting time.

(e)In allocating significant decision-making responsibilities, the court shall not consider conduct of a parent that does not affect that parent's relationship to the child.