Court Opinion

ID: 9720934
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 08:45:02.170608+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:24:22.390574
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE WELCH, dissenting: I believe that the circuit court’s decision is against the manifest weight of the evidence and that it has stretched the Eckert factors too far. Therefore, I respectfully dissent from the majority’s decision. Unlike In re Marriage of Eckert, where the reasons given by the custodial parent were called “questionable” by the Illinois Supreme Court (In re Marriage of Eckert, 119 Ill. 2d at 328-29), the motives for the petitioner’s move are sincere and the evidence in this case demonstrates that the proposed move would enhance the general quality of life for both the custodial parent and the child. The petitioner would be moving to her husband’s home, located on 25 acres. The child will be able to attend a school with a smaller teacher-to-student ratio. Furthermore, the need for day care would be alleviated, because the petitioner or her husband would be able to care for D.S. after school. I believe that these direct and indirect benefits received by D.S. were not properly considered by the circuit court. See In re Marriage of Zamarripa-Gesundheit, 175 Ill. App. 3d 184, 189 (1988) (holding that while the move may not directly enhance the general quality of life for the child, it will significantly affect the general quality of life for the custodial parent and, therefore, indirectly beneficially affect the child’s quality of life). Furthermore, in In re Marriage of Eckert, the noncustodial parent was an “exemplary parent” with an exceptionally good relationship with his son, such that a removal would frustrate that relationship. In the instant case, although the respondent exercised his visitation rights diligently, the evidence does not bear out that he was an exemplary parent, as was the father in In re Marriage of Eckert. I believe that a reasonable visitation schedule could be crafted whereby D.S.’s relationship with his father could be preserved and fostered. The evidence reveals that the petitioner was willing to accommodate visitation by paying for travel expenses. That visitation would include extended weekend visitations around school holidays and extended summer visitation. Accordingly, because I believe that the record demonstrates that a removal is in the best interests of D.S., I believe that the decision of the circuit court is against the manifest weight of the evidence and should be reversed.