Visitation

Sec. 607. Visitation.

    (a)  A parent not granted  custody  of  the  child  is  entitled  to

reasonable  visitation  rights  unless the court finds, after a hearing,

that visitation would endanger seriously the child's  physical,  mental,

moral  or  emotional  health.   If the custodian's street address is not

identified, pursuant to Section 708, the court shall require the parties

to identify reasonable alternative  arrangements  for  visitation  by  a

non-custodial  parent,  including  but  not limited to visitation of the

minor child at the residence of another person or at a local  public  or

private facility.

    (b) (1)  The  court  may grant reasonable visitation privileges to a

grandparent, great-grandparent, or  sibling  of  any  minor  child  upon

petition  to  the  court by the grandparents or great-grandparents or on

behalf of the sibling,  with  notice  to  the  parties  required  to  be

notified  under Section 601 of this Act, if the court determines that it

is in the best interests and welfare of the child,  and  may  issue  any

necessary  orders  to  enforce  such  visitation  privileges.  Except as

provided in paragraph  (2)  of  this  subsection  (b),  a  petition  for

visitation  privileges  may be filed under this paragraph (1) whether or

not a petition pursuant to this Act has  been  previously  filed  or  is

currently pending if one or more of the following circumstances exist:

         (A)  the parents are not currently cohabiting on a permanent or

    an indefinite basis;

         (B)  one  of the parents has been absent from the marital abode

    for more than one month  without  the  spouse  knowing  his  or  her

    whereabouts;

         (C)  one of the parents is deceased;

         (D)  one  of  the  parents  joins  in  the  petition  with  the

    grandparents, great-grandparents, or sibling; or

         (E)  a sibling is in State custody.

    (1.5)  The  Court  may  grant  reasonable visitation privileges to a

stepparent upon petition to the court by the stepparent, with notice  to

the  parties  required  to be notified under Section 601 of this Act, if

the court determines that it is in the best interests and welfare of the

child, and may issue any necessary orders to  enforce  those  visitation

privileges.    A  petition  for visitation privileges may be filed under

this paragraph (1.5) whether or not a petition pursuant to this Act  has

been   previously  filed  or  is  currently  pending  if  the  following

circumstances are met:

         (A)  the child is at least 12 years old;

         (B)  the  child  resided  continuously  with  the  parent   and

    stepparent for at least 5 years;

         (C)  the  parent  is  deceased  or is disabled and is unable to

    care for the child;

         (D)  the child wishes to have reasonable  visitation  with  the

    stepparent; and

         (E)  the  stepparent  was  providing for the care, control, and

    welfare to the child prior to the initiation  of  the  petition  for

    visitation.

    (2)(A)  A  petition  for  visitation  privileges  shall not be filed

pursuant to this subsection (b) by the  parents  or  grandparents  of  a

putative  father  if  the  paternity of the putative father has not been

legally established.

    (B)  A petition for visitation privileges may  not  be  filed  under

this subsection (b) if the child who is the subject of the grandparents'

or  great-grandparents' petition has been voluntarily surrendered by the

parent or parents, except for a surrender to the Illinois Department  of

Children  and  Family  Services  or  a foster care facility, or has been

previously adopted by an individual or individuals who are  not  related

to  the  biological  parents of the child or is the subject of a pending

adoption petition by an individual or individuals who are not related to

the biological parents of the child.

    (3)  When one parent is deceased, the  surviving  parent  shall  not

interfere with the visitation rights of the grandparents.

    (c)  The  court  may  modify an order granting or denying visitation

rights of a parent whenever modification would serve the  best  interest

of  the  child;  but the court shall  not restrict a parent's visitation

rights unless it finds that the visitation would endanger seriously  the

child's  physical,  mental,  moral  or  emotional  health. The court may

modify an order granting, denying, or limiting visitation  rights  of  a

grandparent, great-grandparent, or sibling of any minor child whenever a

change of circumstances has occurred based on facts occurring subsequent

to  the  judgment  and  the court finds by clear and convincing evidence

that the modification is in the best interest of the minor child.

    (d)  If any court has entered an order prohibiting  a  non-custodial

parent  of  a  child  from  any  contact with a child or restricting the

non-custodial parent's contact with the child, the following  provisions

shall apply:

         (1)  If   an   order   has  been  entered  granting  visitation

    privileges with the child to a grandparent or great-grandparent  who

    is  related  to  the  child  through  the  non-custodial parent, the

    visitation privileges of the grandparent or great-grandparent may be

    revoked if:

              (i)  a  court  has  entered  an  order   prohibiting   the

         non-custodial  parent  from any contact with the child, and the

         grandparent or great-grandparent is found to have used  his  or

         her  visitation  privileges  to  facilitate contact between the

         child and the non-custodial parent; or

              (ii)  a  court  has  entered  an  order  restricting   the

         non-custodial   parent's   contact  with  the  child,  and  the

         grandparent or great-grandparent is found to have used  his  or

         her  visitation  privileges  to  facilitate contact between the

         child and the non-custodial parent in a  manner  that  violates

         the  terms  of the order restricting the non-custodial parent's

         contact with the child.

         Nothing in this subdivision (1) limits  the  authority  of  the

    court to enforce its orders in any manner permitted by law.

         (2)  Any order granting visitation privileges with the child to

    a  grandparent  or  great-grandparent  who  is  related to the child

    through  the  non-custodial  parent  shall  contain  the   following

    provision:

         "If   the   (grandparent  or  great-grandparent,  whichever  is

    applicable) who has been granted visitation  privileges  under  this

    order  uses  the visitation privileges to facilitate contact between

    the child and  the  child's  non-custodial  parent,  the  visitation

    privileges granted under this order shall be permanently revoked."

    (e)  No parent, not granted custody of the child, or grandparent, or

great-grandparent,  or  stepparent,  or  sibling  of  any  minor  child,

convicted of any offense involving an illegal sex act perpetrated upon a

victim  less  than 18 years of age including but not limited to offenses

for violations of Article 12 of the Criminal Code of 1961,  is  entitled

to  visitation  rights while incarcerated or while on parole, probation,

conditional discharge, periodic imprisonment,  or  mandatory  supervised

release  for  that  offense, and upon discharge from incarceration for a

misdemeanor  offense  or  upon   discharge   from   parole,   probation,

conditional  discharge,  periodic  imprisonment, or mandatory supervised

release for a felony offense,  visitation  shall  be  denied  until  the

person successfully completes a treatment program approved by the court.

    (f)  Unless  the  court  determines,  after considering all relevant

factors, including but not limited to those set forth in Section 602(a),

that it would be in the best interests of the child to allow visitation,

the court shall not enter  an  order  providing  visitation  rights  and

pursuant to a motion to modify visitation shall revoke visitation rights

previously  granted  to  any  person  who would otherwise be entitled to

petition for visitation rights under this Section who has been convicted

of first degree murder of the parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, or

sibling of the child who is the subject of the order.  Until an order is

entered pursuant to this subsection, no person  shall  visit,  with  the

child present, a person who has been convicted of first degree murder of

the  parent,  grandparent,  great-grandparent,  or  sibling of the child

without the consent of the child's parent, other than a parent convicted

of first degree murder as set forth herein, or legal guardian.

    (g)  If an order has been  entered  limiting,  for  cause,  a  minor

child's  contact or visitation with a grandparent, great-grandparent, or

sibling on the grounds that it was in the best interest of the child  to

do  so,  that order may be modified only upon a showing of a substantial

change in circumstances occurring subsequent to the entry of  the  order

with  proof by clear and convincing evidence that modification is in the

best interest of the minor child.

(Source: P.A. 90-782, eff. 8-14-98; 90-801, eff.  6-1-99;  91-357,  eff.

7-29-99; 91-610, eff. 8-19-99.)