Last year, the Illinois legislature introduced Illinois House Bill 4113, which was the most politically controversial family law bill in a generation. It proposed a statutory mandate requiring a 50/50 shared parenting time schedule in divorce and parentage cases, except under limited circumstances. The legislation was supported by father’s rights groups, among others, who believe that Illinois law contains an unwritten bias in favor of the mother when it comes to parenting time decisions. They believe that the way to effectively address this bias is with a bright line rule.
At the same time, the legislation was vigorously opposed by a wide variety of individuals and organizations which, according to the Chicago Tribune, included the following:
- The Illinois State Bar Association
- The Chicago Bar Association
- The Kane County Bar Association
- The Du Page County Bar Association
- The Lake County Bar Association
- Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
- Archdiocese of Chicago Domestic Violence Outreach
- Jewish Child & Family Service
- The Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence