Covid 19 and the Divorce Courts

The Pandemic has upended life as we know it. How has it affected Courts hearing Divorce and Custody Cases?

In a big way. Some Courts remain physically shuttered until early July of 2020 which is true in Cook County, Illinois which encompasses Chicago, Illinois and adjacent suburbs. Courthouses in other counties are now officially open but operating differently.

Whether the Courthouses are open or not, how you proceed in Divorce and Custody Cases has fundmentally changed. In Cook County, court dates are now being assigned even before the Courthouses there officially open by Video Conference on Zoom or by Telephone.

The schools have been closed and parents have been assisting their children in online learning while they are working from home. With their kids’ schedules so fundamentally changed, many parents have had to be more flexible with their agreed Parenting Schedules rather than running to Court via the Internet to insist on Temporary Court Orders modifying Visitation and their Parenting Plans.

What if there has been Domestic Violence? The Domestic Violence Courts have remained open and accessible during the crisis but there are fears that there has been a spike in both child and spousal abuse because the schools are not open to report potential problems and people fear going to hospitals in the absence of a vaccine.

The good news is the the Family Courts remain functioning during the Pandemic albeit in a different way. 

We at Gabrielle Davis, PC, remain committed to assisting Divorcing and Divorced Parents and those who have an existing Custody Agreement or need to establish their Custody Rights.