Whenever possible and appropriate, all child custody and allocation of parental responsibilities proceedings relating to an individual child shall be conducted by a single judge. Each judicial circuit shall adopt a rule or order providing for assignment and coordination of child custody and allocation of parental responsibilities proceedings. Assignments in child custody and allocation of parental responsibilities proceedings shall be in accordance with the circuit rule or order then in force.
Ill. Sup. Ct. R. 903
Committee Comments
(Revised March 8, 2016)
Special Supreme Court Committee on Child Custody Issues
Rule 903 encourages the assignment of all custody and allocation of parental responsibilities proceedings concerning a child to a single judge. The rule does not mandate consolidation of child custody or allocation of parental responsibilities proceedings, because consolidation may be inadvisable in certain cases. Moreover, in some counties mandatory consolidation may be impracticable because of the arrangement of courtrooms and facilities.
Rule 903 encourages the consolidation of cases by requiring that the judicial circuits adopt rules or orders concerning the assignment and coordination of child custody and allocation of parental responsibilities proceedings, and by providing that the assignment of child custody and allocation of parental responsibilities proceedings will be in accordance with those rules.