Parenting Time and Coronavirus

COVID-19 is changing the way our society is functioning right now. As parents, it is important to know your rights and responsibilities regarding parenting time. Governor Priztker issued an executive order on Friday, March 20th that orders individuals to stay at home - however, there are limitations and exceptions when it comes to parenting time.

To be clear: You still need to comply with the court ordered parenting agreement in place for your family. Keep in mind that travel required by a court order pursuant to a custody agreement is one of the exceptions to the Chicago, stay at home order and parenting orders are expected to be followed.

However, parents will be faced with new parenting issues and conflicts surrounding COVID-19 and how it is affecting parenting time. Here are some of the issues to consider, which must be looked at on a case-by-case basis when considering if parenting time really is in the child’s best interest:

Pick ups and drop offs: It may not be as easy to coordinate exchanges of your children with schools closed and the social distancing order in effect. Think about curbside of residences with minimal interaction with the co-parent to keep your distance and make for easy drop offs with minimal interaction and conflict.
The other household: While you are able to control the environment that you and your children are exposed to at your house, there is less control over the situation when your kids are with the other parent. You may feel better asking them what precautions are being taken to prevent the spread of the virus and create specific agreements around social distancing and sanitation in the home. Wiping down their toys and teaching them proper sanitation techniques can help ensure they will stay healthy no matter where they are traveling to. To foster cooperation and understanding, remind each other that the health and safety of your children is the most important thing right now.

Third-parties: Take social distancing seriously. This might mean limiting or being sensitive about who you are spending time with. It is important that you and your co-parent are on the same page and you are aware of who your children are around while they are in the hands of the co-parent. If your co-parent has a significant other or lives with their parents, it is acceptable to make sure they are both practicing social distancing if they are in contact with your children.

Prepare for illness: What if one parent becomes sick? It is important to try and have a plan in place for when illness occurs. Decide what will happen to the parenting schedule in the occasion that one parent becomes sick. If you become ill, this may mean virtual parenting time or ceasing the in-person visits until the party has recovered. Though this is a hard situation, keep the health of your child in mind and present a united front with your co-parent. If allocating more parenting time to your co-parent is not an option, think about additional third parties that could be utilized as support. Additionally, remember that apps like Facetime, Skype, Google Hangouts, and Zoom allow for communication and face to face contact from a distance.

If you have concerns about your current parenting agreement due to COVID-19, openly communicate that with your co-parent and attempt to come to a temporary agreement. Civil communication right now is key, especially as courts are temporarily closed outside of emergency issues. If you are worried about effectively communicating with your co-parent, there are plenty of resources available.

Things to consider: (1) A parenting coordinator. A PC can be useful to help facilitate communication and effectively resolve any concerns that you may have about the current parenting schedule. (2) Mediation. Mediation is another effective resource to help you during this complicated time. Using a mediator is an effective way of solving problems because these individuals are a neutral third party that is able to give a new perspective to the issues at hand and help find a solution. (3) Guardian ad litem. It is important to keep in mind that your child is the most important thing right now. This is why a (GAL) is another resource that is available who can help make sure the best interest of your child is being met. A GAL will have an open conversation with your child and help create an amicable solution keeping the child’s needs in mind. Any of these resources, which The Law Office of Erin M Wilson LLC offers, are an effective way to keep communication open with your co-parent during this time and will serve as an effective third party to amicably solve issues that otherwise may be a source of conflict.

NOTICE: This blog is intended solely for informational purposes and should not be construed as providing legal advice. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have regarding this blog post.