Owning and working on a farm can take up most of your time. When you need to balance it with time with your children, it can feel like having two full-time jobs at the same time. Understanding how Illinois courts view these unique scheduling needs can help you prepare a sustainable co-parenting arrangement.
How seasonal work cycles shape parenting schedules
In Illinois, peak crop activity typically runs from April through late November. During planting and harvest seasons, a farming parent often works from dawn until well past sunset, making rigid standard possession schedules impractical.
Illinois law allows parents to create customized plans. A parenting plan can include provisions that account for these seasonal shifts while still prioritizing the needs of the child.
What Illinois courts consider in farm family cases
When determining parenting time, Illinois courts focus primarily on what arrangement serves the child best. These factors include each parent’s participation in caring for the child, the child’s adjustment to home and school and the ability of both parents to cooperate. The court also considers the distance between residences and each parent’s daily plans.
How to build parenting plan around farm life
Your parenting plan does not have to follow a rigid week-on, week-off format. Many farming families find success with arrangements that account for agricultural cycles.
You might consider an agreement that gives you more parenting time during slower winter months. Your co-parent could then have additional time during your busiest planting or harvesting periods.
What options exist for modifying an existing plan
Unlike decision-making responsibilities, which are generally fixed for a two-year period, parenting time in Illinois is more flexible. A parent may request a modification at any time if circumstances change.
State law does not require you to prove that the child is in immediate or serious danger in order to adjust the agreement. Instead, you must show that a material change in circumstances has occurred and that modifying the care plan would serve the child’s best interests.
The most efficient way to modify a plan is through mutual agreement. When both parents can agree on a revised schedule, you may submit an agreed order to the court for approval, avoiding unnecessary litigation.
If you cannot reach an agreement, you will likely need to attend court-ordered mediation to attempt to resolve the dispute before a judge will intervene.
When mediation is not successful, the court will conduct an evidentiary hearing where you must present proof of the changed circumstances, such as work logs or operational changes, to justify why the current plan is no longer viable for your family.