ILLINOIS TEMPORARY ALLOCATION OF PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES AGREEMENT

Pursuant to 750 ILCS 5/603.5 — Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act

IMPORTANT: ILLINOIS FRAMEWORK FOR TEMPORARY ORDERS

Under Illinois law, the court may issue temporary orders regarding parental responsibilities while a case is pending final resolution. Key provisions:

750 ILCS 5/603.5 — Temporary Allocation of Parental Responsibilities:
- Upon a showing of an emergency, as defined by the UCCJEA (750 ILCS 36/204), the court may allocate temporary decision-making responsibilities and parenting time.
- Temporary orders are effective until a final allocation judgment is entered, or until further order of the court.
- The court considers the Child(ren)'s best interests under 750 ILCS 5/602.7(b) when issuing temporary orders.

750 ILCS 5/501(a)(2) — Temporary Relief:
- In a proceeding for dissolution of marriage, legal separation, or allocation of parental responsibilities, the court may issue interim orders for the temporary allocation of parental responsibilities pending the final hearing.

Distinction from Final Orders:
- Temporary orders are not subject to the two-year modification restriction of 750 ILCS 5/610.5(a). The court may modify a temporary order at any time upon a showing that modification is in the Child(ren)'s best interests.
- A temporary order does not establish a presumption in favor of the temporary arrangement for purposes of the final allocation.

Alternative: Short-Term Guardianship (755 ILCS 5/11-5.4):
- If a Parent needs to temporarily delegate authority to a non-parent (grandparent, relative, trusted adult), Illinois allows a short-term guardian designation for up to 365 days without court approval, provided written authorization is executed.

1. COURT AND CASE INFORMATION

In the Circuit Court of the [________________________________] Judicial Circuit
County of [________________________________], State of Illinois

☐ Domestic Relations Division ☐ Family Division

Case Number: [________________________________]

Case Type: ☐ Dissolution of Marriage ☐ Legal Separation ☐ Parentage ☐ Allocation of Parental Responsibilities ☐ Order of Protection ☐ Other: [________________________________]

Status of Underlying Case:
☐ Petition filed on [__/__/____]; case pending
☐ No case currently pending — Parents seek temporary arrangement prior to filing
☐ Emergency circumstances requiring immediate interim order

1.1 Parent A / Petitioner

Full Legal Name: [________________________________]
Address: [________________________________]
City, State, ZIP: [________________________________]
County: [________________________________]
Telephone: [________________________________]
Email: [________________________________]
Attorney: [________________________________]
ARDC No.: [________________________________]

1.2 Parent B / Respondent

Full Legal Name: [________________________________]
Address: [________________________________]
City, State, ZIP: [________________________________]
County: [________________________________]
Telephone: [________________________________]
Email: [________________________________]
Attorney: [________________________________]
ARDC No.: [________________________________]

1.3 Temporary Custodian (If Not a Parent)

☐ Not applicable — This agreement is between the two Parents.
☐ A non-parent is designated as Temporary Custodian:

Full Legal Name: [________________________________]
Relationship to Child(ren): [________________________________]
Address: [________________________________]
City, State, ZIP: [________________________________]
Telephone: [________________________________]
Email: [________________________________]

Legal Basis for Non-Parent Temporary Arrangement:
☐ Short-term guardian under 755 ILCS 5/11-5.4 (no court approval needed for up to 365 days)
☐ Court-ordered temporary allocation to non-parent under 750 ILCS 5/602.7(a-5)
☐ Other: [________________________________]

1.4 Minor Child(ren)

2. REASON FOR TEMPORARY ARRANGEMENT

2.1 Circumstances Requiring Temporary Allocation

☐ Pending Litigation: A petition for ☐ dissolution of marriage / ☐ allocation of parental responsibilities / ☐ parentage has been filed and is pending. A temporary order is needed to establish parenting arrangements during the pendency of the case.

☐ Emergency Circumstances (750 ILCS 5/603.5): An emergency exists as follows: [________________________________]
(Illinois defines "emergency" under the UCCJEA as situations where the child has been abandoned, or the child (or a sibling or parent) is subjected to or threatened with mistreatment or abuse.)

☐ Parent's Temporary Unavailability:
☐ Military deployment from [__/__/____] to [__/__/____]
☐ Medical treatment/hospitalization from [__/__/____] to approximately [__/__/____]
☐ Temporary work assignment to [________________________________] from [__/__/____] to [__/__/____]
☐ Incarceration from [__/__/____] to approximately [__/__/____]
☐ Other: [________________________________]

☐ Voluntary Interim Agreement: The Parents have voluntarily agreed to a temporary arrangement while they work toward a permanent parenting plan, and wish to memorialize the arrangement.

☐ Safety Concerns: Temporary restrictions are needed because: [________________________________]

2.2 Duration of Temporary Arrangement

Start Date: [__/__/____]

End Date / Termination: This Agreement terminates on the earliest of:

(a) [__/__/____] (specific end date), or
(b) Entry of a final allocation judgment by the Court, or
(c) Further order of the Court, or
(d) Written agreement of both Parents to terminate, with [____] days' notice, or
(e) The unavailable Parent's return/recovery and resumption of parenting responsibilities, with [____] days' transition notice.

3. TEMPORARY ALLOCATION OF SIGNIFICANT DECISION-MAKING

3.1 Decision-Making During the Temporary Period

☐ Option A — Joint Significant Decision-Making (Temporary):
Both Parents share temporary joint significant decision-making responsibility. Significant decisions require mutual consultation and agreement. If the Parents cannot agree, the dispute shall be submitted to the Court for interim resolution.

☐ Option B — Sole Significant Decision-Making to Parent [____] (Temporary):
[________________________________] shall have sole temporary significant decision-making authority for all major decisions regarding education, health, religion, and extracurricular activities.

☐ Option C — Split Decision-Making (Temporary):
| Decision Category | Parent A | Parent B |
|---|---|---|
| Education | ☐ | ☐ |
| Health | ☐ | ☐ |
| Religion | ☐ | ☐ |
| Extracurricular Activities | ☐ | ☐ |

☐ Option D — Temporary Custodian Decision-Making (Non-Parent):
The Temporary Custodian shall have authority to make the following decisions:
☐ Routine day-to-day decisions only; all significant decisions require Parent consent
☐ Routine decisions plus emergency medical decisions with immediate notification to Parent(s)
☐ All significant decisions, with obligation to consult Parent(s) when reasonably possible

3.2 Scope of Authority for Temporary Custodian (If Non-Parent)

The Temporary Custodian is authorized to:
☐ Enroll the Child(ren) in school and attend parent-teacher conferences
☐ Consent to routine and emergency medical, dental, and mental health care
☐ Obtain prescription medications
☐ Authorize school field trips and extracurricular participation
☐ Access the Child(ren)'s school and medical records
☐ Apply for government benefits on behalf of the Child(ren)
☐ Other: [________________________________]

The Temporary Custodian is not authorized to:
☐ Consent to elective surgery or non-emergency medical procedures without Parent approval
☐ Relocate the Child(ren) outside of [________________________________] County
☐ Change the Child(ren)'s school without Parent approval
☐ Obtain a passport for the Child(ren)
☐ Other: [________________________________]

4. TEMPORARY PARENTING TIME SCHEDULE

4.1 Parenting Time Allocation

☐ Option A — Temporary Parenting Time to Parent A with Parenting Time to Parent B:
Primary Residence: Child(ren) reside with Parent A at [________________________________]
Parent B's Parenting Time:
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

☐ Option B — Temporary Parenting Time to Parent B with Parenting Time to Parent A:
Primary Residence: Child(ren) reside with Parent B at [________________________________]
Parent A's Parenting Time:
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

☐ Option C — Temporary Equal Parenting Time:
Schedule: [________________________________]
[________________________________]

☐ Option D — Temporary Parenting Time to Non-Parent Custodian:
Child(ren) reside with Temporary Custodian at [________________________________]
Parent A's contact/parenting time during temporary period:
[________________________________]
Parent B's contact/parenting time during temporary period:
[________________________________]

☐ Option E — Status Quo Pending Litigation:
The Child(ren) shall continue to reside at [________________________________] and maintain the current schedule pending the Court's final determination. Neither Parent shall change the Child(ren)'s residence, school enrollment, or routine without Court approval or mutual written agreement.

4.2 Temporary Holiday and Break Provisions

☐ Holidays during the temporary period shall be ☐ split equally / ☐ allocated as follows:
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

☐ No specific holiday provisions during the temporary period; regular temporary schedule applies.

4.3 Virtual Parenting Time

If a Parent is unavailable for in-person contact (deployment, hospitalization, distance), virtual contact shall be maintained:

☐ Video calls: [________________________________] (days) at [________________________________] (time) for [____] minutes
☐ Telephone calls: [________________________________]
☐ Written correspondence (letters, email): [________________________________]

The Parent or Temporary Custodian with physical care shall facilitate all virtual contact.

4.4 Exchange Arrangements

Exchange location: ☐ School ☐ Parent A's residence ☐ Parent B's residence ☐ Neutral location: [________________________________] ☐ Supervised exchange: [________________________________]

Transportation: [________________________________]

5. RESTRICTIONS ON PARENTING TIME (750 ILCS 5/603.10)

5.1 Temporary Restrictions

☐ No restrictions — Both Parents may exercise unrestricted parenting time.

☐ Restrictions imposed on [________________________________]'s parenting time:

☐ Supervised parenting time by: [________________________________]
☐ Professional supervision at: [________________________________]
☐ No overnight parenting time during temporary period
☐ Abstain from alcohol and non-prescribed drugs during and within [____] hours before parenting time
☐ No contact with specific person(s): [________________________________]
☐ Drug/alcohol testing: ☐ Random ☐ Upon request. Cost: ☐ Restricted Parent ☐ Shared
☐ Complete before unsupervised parenting time: ☐ Substance abuse assessment ☐ Parenting classes ☐ Anger management ☐ Domestic violence intervention program ☐ Other: [________________________________]
☐ Post bond: $[________________________________]
☐ Other: [________________________________]

6. COMMUNICATION AND NOTIFICATION

6.1 Parent-to-Parent Communication

Communication method: ☐ OurFamilyWizard ☐ TalkingParents ☐ Email ☐ Text ☐ Other: [________________________________]

6.2 Parent-to-Child Communication

The Parent or Temporary Custodian with physical care shall facilitate regular communication between the Child(ren) and the absent/non-residential Parent:
☐ Daily at approximately [________________________________] for up to [____] minutes
☐ [________________________________] (days) at approximately [________________________________]

6.3 Emergency Notifications

The Parent or Temporary Custodian with physical care shall notify the other Parent within twenty-four (24) hours of:
- Medical emergencies, injuries, hospitalizations
- Contact with law enforcement or DCFS
- School disciplinary action
- Any change of address or contact information

6.4 Prohibited Conduct

☐ No disparaging remarks about either Parent in the Child(ren)'s presence
☐ No discussion of litigation with the Child(ren)
☐ No alienating conduct
☐ No interrogation of the Child(ren) about the other Parent's household

7. FINANCIAL PROVISIONS DURING TEMPORARY PERIOD

7.1 Temporary Child Support

☐ Temporary child support of $[________________________________] per ☐ month / ☐ week shall be paid by [________________________________] to [________________________________], beginning [__/__/____].
☐ Child support to be determined by the Court at the temporary hearing.
☐ No temporary child support — each Parent bears their own expenses during parenting time.
☐ The Parent shall pay the Temporary Custodian $[________________________________] per ☐ month / ☐ week for the Child(ren)'s expenses.

7.2 Health Insurance

☐ [________________________________] shall maintain health, dental, and vision insurance for the Child(ren) during the temporary period.
☐ Unreimbursed medical expenses: ☐ 50/50 ☐ [____]% / [____]% ☐ Responsible Parent pays all

7.3 Other Expenses

☐ School-related expenses: [________________________________]
☐ Childcare/daycare: [________________________________]
☐ Extracurricular activities: [________________________________]

8. RETURN OF CHILD(REN) / TRANSITION TO PERMANENT ARRANGEMENT

8.1 Termination and Return

Upon termination of this temporary arrangement:

☐ Immediate return: The Child(ren) shall be returned to the returning Parent's physical care within [____] hours of the triggering event.

☐ Gradual transition: The Child(ren) shall transition back to the returning Parent's care according to the following graduated schedule:
- Week 1: [________________________________]
- Week 2: [________________________________]
- Week 3: [________________________________]
- Week 4+: Full resumption of parenting time

☐ Court determination: The temporary arrangement continues until the Court enters a final allocation judgment.

8.2 Non-Interference with Permanent Proceedings

This temporary arrangement:
(a) Does not establish a presumption regarding the final allocation of parental responsibilities;
(b) Does not constitute an admission by either Parent regarding fitness or best interests;
(c) Shall not be used as evidence of consent to a permanent arrangement;
(d) Is without prejudice to either Parent's rights in the underlying proceeding.

9. DISPUTE RESOLUTION

9.1 Interim Disputes

Given the temporary nature of this Agreement, disputes shall be resolved expeditiously:

Step 1: Direct communication between the parties within forty-eight (48) hours.
Step 2: If unresolved, either party may file an emergency motion or petition for temporary relief with the Court.

9.2 Mediation

☐ The parties agree to attempt mediation for non-emergency disputes before seeking Court intervention (750 ILCS 5/602.10(e)), except where an Order of Protection is in effect or impediments to mediation exist.

10. GENERAL PROVISIONS

10.1 Temporary Nature

This Agreement is explicitly temporary. It does not affect permanent parental rights, does not constitute a waiver of any party's claims, and shall not be construed as an abandonment of parenting responsibilities.

10.2 Modification

This temporary order may be modified at any time by the Court upon a showing that modification serves the Child(ren)'s best interests. The two-year restriction of 750 ILCS 5/610.5(a) does not apply to temporary orders.

10.3 Compliance with Court Orders

This Agreement is subject to any existing court orders, including Orders of Protection. In the event of a conflict between this Agreement and a court order, the court order controls.

10.4 Severability

If any provision is unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect.

10.5 Governing Law and Forum

This Agreement is governed by Illinois law. The Circuit Court of [________________________________] County, [____] Judicial Circuit, retains jurisdiction.

11. EXECUTION

We, the undersigned, have read this Agreement, understand its temporary nature and terms, and agree it serves the Child(ren)'s best interests during the interim period.

PARENT A:

Signature: _________________________________
Print Name: [________________________________]
Date: [__/__/____]

PARENT B:

Signature: _________________________________
Print Name: [________________________________]
Date: [__/__/____]

TEMPORARY CUSTODIAN (if applicable):

Signature: _________________________________
Print Name: [________________________________]
Relationship to Child(ren): [________________________________]
Date: [__/__/____]

ATTORNEY FOR PARENT A:

Signature: _________________________________
Print Name: [________________________________]
ARDC No.: [________________________________]
Date: [__/__/____]

ATTORNEY FOR PARENT B:

Signature: _________________________________
Print Name: [________________________________]
ARDC No.: [________________________________]
Date: [__/__/____]

12. ORDER OF THE COURT

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE [____] JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
[________________________________] COUNTY, ILLINOIS

Case No.: [________________________________]

TEMPORARY ORDER REGARDING ALLOCATION OF PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES

The Court, having reviewed the Temporary Allocation of Parental Responsibilities Agreement and having considered the best interest factors of 750 ILCS 5/602.7(b):

THE COURT FINDS:

☐ The parties have voluntarily agreed to the temporary arrangement set forth herein.
☐ The temporary arrangement serves the best interests of the minor Child(ren).
☐ Emergency circumstances exist warranting temporary relief under 750 ILCS 5/603.5.
☐ Temporary relief is appropriate pending final adjudication under 750 ILCS 5/501(a)(2).
☐ Any restrictions on parenting time comply with 750 ILCS 5/603.10.

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. The Temporary Allocation of Parental Responsibilities Agreement is approved and entered as a temporary order of this Court, effective [__/__/____].
2. This temporary order remains in effect until ☐ [__/__/____] / ☐ entry of a final allocation judgment / ☐ further order of this Court.
3. This temporary order does not establish a presumption regarding the final allocation of parental responsibilities.

Date: [__/__/____]

_________________________________
Judge, Circuit Court of [________________________________] County, Illinois
[____] Judicial Circuit

Sources and References

Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (IMDMA)

• 750 ILCS 5/603.5 — Temporary Allocation of Parental Responsibilities: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/075000050K603.5.htm
• 750 ILCS 5/501 — Temporary Relief (Interim Orders): https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/075000050K501.htm
• 750 ILCS 5/602.5 — Significant Decision-Making: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/075000050K602.5.htm
• 750 ILCS 5/602.7 — Parenting Time: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/075000050K602.7.htm
• 750 ILCS 5/602.10 — Parenting Plan: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/075000050K602.10.htm
• 750 ILCS 5/603.10 — Restriction of Parenting Time: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/075000050K603.10.htm

Illinois Probate Act — Short-Term Guardianship

• 755 ILCS 5/11-5.4 — Short-Term Guardian of Minor: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/075500050K11-5.4.htm

Court Resources

• Cook County Domestic Relations Division: https://www.cookcountycourtil.gov/part-13-domestic-relations-proceedings
• Illinois Legal Aid — Divorce and Parental Responsibilities: https://www.illinoislegalaid.org/legal-information/divorce-and-parental-responsibilities
• Illinois Courts Parenting Plan Form: https://ilcourtsaudio.blob.core.windows.net/antilles-resources/resources/a601856a-12e7-44fe-9076-88a8e150c3a7/DWC%20Parenting%20Plan.pdf

Prepared for attorney review. This template is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a licensed Illinois attorney before use.