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1     AN ACT concerning family law.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of
5 Marriage Act is amended by changing Section 601 as follows:
 
6     (750 ILCS 5/601)  (from Ch. 40, par. 601)
7     Sec. 601. Jurisdiction; Commencement of Proceeding.
8     (a) A court of this State competent to decide child custody
9 matters has jurisdiction to make a child custody determination
10 in original or modification proceedings as provided in Section
11 201 of the Uniform Child-Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement
12 Act as adopted by this State.
13     (b) A child custody proceeding is commenced in the court:
14         (1) by a parent, by filing a petition:
15             (i) for dissolution of marriage or legal
16         separation or declaration of invalidity of marriage;
17         or
18             (ii) for custody of the child, in the county in
19         which he is permanently resident or found;
20         (2) by a person other than a parent, by filing a
21     petition for custody of the child in the county in which he
22     is permanently resident or found, but only if he is not in
23     the physical custody of one of his parents; or
24         (3) by a stepparent, by filing a petition, if all of
25     the following circumstances are met:
26             (A) the child is at least 12 years old;
27             (B) the custodial parent and stepparent were
28         married for at least 5 years during which the child
29         resided with the parent and stepparent;
30             (C) the custodial parent is deceased or is disabled
31         and cannot perform the duties of a parent to the child;
32             (D) the stepparent provided for the care, control,

 

 

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1         and welfare to the child prior to the initiation of
2         custody proceedings;
3             (E) the child wishes to live with the stepparent;
4         and
5             (F) it is alleged to be in the best interests and
6         welfare of the child to live with the stepparent as
7         provided in Section 602 of this Act.
8         (4) When one of the parents is deceased, by a
9     grandparent who is a parent or stepparent of a deceased
10     parent, by filing a petition, if one or more of the
11     following existed at the time of the parent's death:
12             (A) the surviving parent had been absent from the
13         marital abode for more than one month without the
14         deceased spouse knowing his or her whereabouts;
15             (B) the surviving parent was in State or federal
16         custody; or
17             (C) the surviving parent had: (i) received
18         supervision for or been convicted of any violation of
19         Article 12 of the Criminal Code of 1961 directed
20         towards the deceased parent or the child; or (ii)
21         received supervision or been convicted of violating an
22         order of protection entered under Section 217, 218, or
23         219 of the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986 for
24         the protection of the deceased parent or the child.
25     (c) Notice of a child custody proceeding, including an
26 action for modification of a previous custody order, shall be
27 given to the child's parents, guardian and custodian, who may
28 appear, be heard, and file a responsive pleading. The court,
29 upon showing of good cause, may permit intervention of other
30 interested parties.
31     (d) Proceedings for modification of a previous custody
32 order commenced more than 30 days following the entry of a
33 previous custody order must be initiated by serving a written
34 notice and a copy of the petition for modification upon the
35 child's parent, guardian and custodian at least 30 days prior
36 to hearing on the petition. Nothing in this Section shall

 

 

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1 preclude a party in custody modification proceedings from
2 moving for a temporary order under Section 603 of this Act.
3     (e) (Blank).
4     (f) The court shall, at the court's discretion or upon the
5 request of any party entitled to petition for custody of the
6 child, appoint a guardian ad litem to represent the best
7 interest of the child for the duration of the custody
8 proceeding or for any modifications of any custody orders
9 entered. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to prevent
10 the court from appointing the same guardian ad litem for 2 or
11 more children that are siblings or half-siblings.
12 (Source: P.A. 93-108, eff. 1-1-04.)