Joint Custody Statute

    (a) The dissolution of  marriage,  the  declaration  of

invalidity  of  marriage,  the  legal  separation of the parents, or the

parents living separate and apart shall not  diminish  parental  powers,

rights,  and  responsibilities  except  as the court for good reason may

determine under the standards of Section 602.

    (b)  Upon the application of either or both parents, or upon its own

motion, the court shall consider  an  award  of  joint  custody.   Joint

custody means custody determined pursuant to a Joint Parenting Agreement

or  a  Joint  Parenting Order.  In such cases, the court shall initially

request the parents  to  produce  a  Joint  Parenting  Agreement.   Such

Agreement    shall    specify   each   parent's   powers,   rights   and

responsibilities for the personal  care  of  the  child  and  for  major

decisions  such  as education, health care, and religious training.  The

Agreement shall further specify a procedure by which  proposed  changes,

disputes  and alleged breaches may be mediated or otherwise resolved and

shall provide for a periodic review of its terms  by  the  parents.   In

producing  a Joint Parenting Agreement, the parents shall be flexible in

arriving at resolutions which  further  the  policy  of  this  State  as

expressed  in  Sections  102  and 602.  For the purpose of assisting the

court in making a determination whether an award  of  joint  custody  is

appropriate,  the  court  may  order  mediation  and  may direct that an

investigation be conducted pursuant to the provisions  of  Section  605.

In  the  event  the parents fail to produce a Joint Parenting Agreement,

the court may enter an  appropriate  Joint  Parenting  Order  under  the

standards  of  Section  602  which  shall  specify  and contain the same

elements as a Joint Parenting Agreement, or it may  award  sole  custody

under the standards of Sections 602, 607, and 608.

    (c)  The  court may enter an order of joint custody if it determines

that joint custody would be in the best interests of the  child,  taking

into account the following:

         (1)  the  ability  of  the parents to cooperate effectively and

    consistently in matters that directly affect the joint parenting  of

    the child.  "Ability of the parents to cooperate" means the parents'

    capacity  to substantially comply with a Joint Parenting Order.  The

    court shall not consider the inability of the parents  to  cooperate

    effectively  and consistently in matters that do not directly affect

    the joint parenting of the child;

         (2)  The residential circumstances of each parent; and

         (3)  all other factors  which  may  be  relevant  to  the  best

    interest of the child.

    (d)  Nothing  within  this section shall imply or presume that joint

custody shall necessarily  mean  equal  parenting  time.   The  physical

residence of the child in joint custodial situations shall be determined

by:

         (1)  express agreement of the parties; or

         (2)  order of the court under the standards of this Section.

    (e)  Notwithstanding  any  other provision of law, access to records

and information pertaining to a child,  including  but  not  limited  to

medical, dental, child care and school records, shall not be denied to a

parent  for  the  reason  that  such parent is not the child's custodial

parent; however, no parent shall have access to the school records of  a

child  if  the  parent  is  prohibited  by  an  order of protection from

inspecting or obtaining such records pursuant to the  Illinois  Domestic

Violence Act of 1986, as now or hereafter amended.

(Source: P.A. 88-409.)