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Ex-wife used daughter’s therapy to cut dad’s court ordered parenting time
By Laura Reichel
The time a father spends with his child can be incredibly important to maintaining a strong relationship between father and child. However, in the case of a Chicago father, he feared his relationship with his young daughter was at risk.
Chicago matrimonial attorney Jeffery M. Leving and attorney and Litigation Director Art Kallow of the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving Ltd. will talk about this complex case on the weekly radio show, the Dads’ Rights Legal Hour, 9-10 a.m. CDT Saturday, August 31st on Power 92.3 FM. This show will be available for download on the Dads’ Rights Legal Hour Spotify page on dadsrights.com
Dad and his ex-wife shared custody of their 10-year-old daughter. Throughout this time, Dad had enjoyed a generous parenting schedule and a loving relationship with his daughter.
His daughter was diagnosed with a condition that would require extensive at-home therapy sessions. Dad initially had no issue with his daughter’s sessions being conducted at his ex’s home, until the mother tried to use the therapy sessions to cut out a large portion of Dad’s court ordered parenting time.
Dad didn’t want his relationship with his daughter to suffer. He didn’t want to lose any precious time with his daughter.
Using the excuse that a disturbance in the sessions would cause severe distress to their daughter’s health and development, the ex-wife insisted on cutting off a large portion of the father’s parenting time.
This would mean that Dad’s relationship with his daughter would suffer, since his ability to spend quality time with her would be dramatically decreased. When Dad refused to give up his time with his daughter, his ex filed an Emergency Motion against him to modify his Parenting Schedule.
Terrified of losing his precious time with his daughter, this father reached out to the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving Ltd. for help. The Leving legal team assured him that they would fight for him and his daughter, and they did.
The Leving team immediately went to court, arguing that the loss in parenting time would outweigh any benefit that would come from the therapy sessions. They demonstrated the close relationship between father and daughter and how the sudden loss of time would be detrimental to the young girl. The judge agreed with the Leving team’s argument and ordered that Dad’s parenting schedule remain as it is.
This was a court victory, modified for broadcast, that demonstrated the struggle many fathers face when it comes to fighting to be present in their children’s lives. Even when there is a court ordered schedule in place, there are still obstacles attempting to separate father and child just like what happened to this father. However, giving up hope is not the answer. This father did not give up on his daughter and the Leving team did not give up on them. Dad is now able to stay in his daughter’s life, with the same parenting schedule they both always enjoyed.
Attorney and Litigation Director Arthur S. Kallow
Attorney Arthur S. Kallow was honored for his valuable contribution to the Domestic Relations Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County as a court facilitator. Kallow was also selected as an Illinois Super Lawyer. Super Lawyers are considered the best in their profession, and they represent the top practicing attorneys in Illinois and the country.
The Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, Ltd.
Matrimonial attorney Jeffery M. Leving is the recipient of President Biden’s Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition, the Illinois House of Representatives has honored Leving “for his work in safeguarding the rights of fathers and protecting the welfare of children and families in this State,” and the Illinois Senate issued a proclamation recognizing his efforts on behalf of fathers.
To learn more about law and fatherhood, follow the Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving Ltd. on Facebook and X.
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Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
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