Bill > HB5213

This bill amends the Friend of the Court Act to require the friend of the court (a court-affiliated office that assists with family law matters) to provide more comprehensive information to parties in domestic relations cases. Specifically, the bill mandates that the friend of the court include information about the presumption of equal or approximately equal parenting time in their standard informational pamphlet, alongside existing required information such as court procedures, alternative dispute resolution options, and parties' rights. The bill changes several instances of "shall" to "must" throughout the existing law, which is a technical linguistic update. The bill also clarifies the friend of the court's duties to inform parties about joint custody and parenting time options, and requires that any investigations and recommendations regarding child custody be based on specific factors outlined in the Child Custody Act. The bill will only take effect if companion bills (House Bills 5211 and 5212) are also enacted, indicating this is part of a broader legislative package related to family law and child custody procedures.