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Date: 08-19-2024
Case Style:
In re Marriage of Megan K. NOrris and Jeffrey Norris
Case Number: 18-D-288
Judge: Carlo D. Colosimo
Court: Circuit Court, Kendall County, Illinois
Plaintiff's Attorney:
Defendant's Attorney:
Description:
Yorkville, Illinois family law lawyers represented the parties in a divorce case.
¶ 4 The parties were married in 2004. Four children were born to the parties: Z.N. (born in 2007), J.N. (born in 2008), A.N. (born in 2010) and S.N. (born in 2012). In 2018, Megan filed a petition for dissolution. The trial court appointed Attorney Michael Blake to serve as guardian ad litem (GAL) for the children. On February 4, 2020, the parties entered an agreed parenting plan granting the parties joint decision-making responsibilities for the children and designating Megan as the primary residential custodian. Jeffrey had parenting time every other weekend and a couple days during the week. The trial court entered a judgment for dissolution on the same date as the parenting plan.
¶ 5 On April 28, 2020, about two months later, Jeffrey filed a verified petition to modify the parenting plan. In that petition, he alleged that circumstances had changed because the children were seriously endangered while in the custody of Megan. He also alleged that he had recently filed an order of protection on behalf of one of the children, and cited an incident where J.N. hit Megan with a frying pan. He requested that he be granted sole decision-making responsibility with respect to the children's education, medical treatment, religious activities, and extracurricular activities. He also requested that the parenting schedule be modified in accordance with the best interests of the children. Thereafter, the trial court reappointed the same GAL that represented the children during the dissolution proceedings.
¶ 6 On May 11, 2021, Jeffrey filed an emergency petition to temporarily suspend and restrict parenting time. Jeffrey stated that Megan's boyfriend, John Gerstel, had moved into the family residence and the children did not feel comfortable living with him. Jeffrey alleged that Megan did not respond to the GAL's requests for information concerning Gerstel. The trial court granted the petition.
¶ 7 On September 23, 2021, the trial court entered an agreed order whereby Jeffrey withdrew his April 2020 petition and the parties agreed to certain modifications of the parenting plan. Specifically, Jeffrey was granted sole decision-making responsibility regarding the children's education, medical treatment, religious upbringing, and extracurricular activities. Jeffrey was also designated as the legal custodian of the children for school purposes. Megan's parenting time was to be supervised by an agreed-upon neutral third party with the dates and times of such visitation to be determined later. Gerstel was barred from having any contact with the minor children. Megan was granted reasonable and regular electronic communication with the children on cell phones to be provided by Megan. Finally, the agreed order specified that the children were to remain in counseling.
Outcome: Affirmed
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
Comments: