Article IX. Child Custody or Allocation of Parental Responsibilities Proceedings · Part A. Rules of General Application to Child Custody or Allocation of Parental Responsibilities Proceedings · Last amended 2016 · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceRule 903 encourages assigning every custody matter involving the same child to a single judge and directs each judicial circuit to adopt local rules for coordinating related cases.
Full Text of Ill. S. Ct. R. 903
Text size
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.
Plain-English Summary
When a child is the subject of more than one case — say, a paternity action and a later dissolution filing — different judges ruling on custody issues invite conflicting orders and wasted effort. Rule 903 pushes circuits toward assigning all such matters to one judge whenever that’s possible and workable.
The rule stops short of mandating consolidation in every case, because some circumstances make a single-judge approach impractical — courtroom logistics, caseload, or the nature of the disputes involved. Instead, it requires each judicial circuit to adopt its own rule or order for how these assignments and coordination happen, and to follow that local rule once it is in place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the same judge handle every custody case involving my child?
Whenever possible, yes — Rule 903 encourages that, though your local circuit’s own rule controls how assignments work.
Does Rule 903 require consolidating my cases?
No. It encourages single-judge assignment but recognizes that consolidation isn’t always workable, so it leaves the details to local circuit rules.
Where do I find my circuit’s assignment rule?
Each judicial circuit adopts its own rule or order under Rule 903, so check that circuit’s local rules for the specifics.
Why does it matter which judge hears my case?
A single judge who knows the full history of a family’s disputes is less likely to issue orders that conflict with earlier rulings on the same child.
Does Rule 903 apply across different types of custody cases?
Yes — it covers coordination between custody and allocation-of-parental-responsibilities proceedings generally, regardless of which statute brought the case to court.
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.
Amendment History
Adopted February 10, 2006, effective July 1, 2006; amended Mar. 8, 2016, eff. immediately.
Source & verification. Rule text, official Committee Comments, and
amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Illinois Supreme Court Rules,
promulgated by the Supreme Court of Illinois. Last verified July 20, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as:same judge for custody casescoordinating multiple custody cases Illinoisone judge assigned to child custody casecircuit court case assignment rule custody