Can a Teen Mother File for Sole Custody Before the Child is Born

My question involves paternity law for the State of: Illinois
I am 17 years old and I will be 18 in 5 months. At the moment I am currently pregnant with my son who will be here in April. My boyfriend and I are still currently together he is 21. While we may be together I still want to file for full custody of our son because we do break up here and there and I am worried that if we break up after our son is born he will try to take him. Since he is older, and has a job is he more likely to get custody than me?

i am trying to get an apartment as soon as possible I've been escorting without his knowledge for almost a year so I have enough saved to be on my own. I also have proof that he was abusive at one point during my pregnacy and he has not gone to any doctors appointments or been with me to the er. Do you think I can get full custody or is he more likely?

Neither one of you are likely to get full custody because full custody is not the norm these days. Joint legal custody (joint decision making) with a parenting schedule is much more the norm.

However, you basically would have full custody by default when the child is born, until you go to court and get something established legally.

If escorting is a euphemism for what I think it is, how do you know who the father of your baby is?

If you get arrested after you have your son. Who will care for him ? Chances are it will be your boyfriend. You need to find a legal job. You need to get your GED and get job training so you can support your son on your own.

Seems to me we're getting things a bit turned around in this thread. Since Mom and Dad are not married, Mom has full custody until a court says she does not. And no, neither Mom nor Dad can file for any kind of custody before the child is born. Regardless of their ages.

Granted, if Dad files for joint custody he will likely get it. But at the time the child is born, it's all Mom's.

You're staying with him after he abused you? Why?

Do not for one second think that you can "forgive" him now and then try to use it against him if he goes for custody - that's not how it works. Not. At. All.

Your BF needs a paternity test before anything else.

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Quoting LovePortillo

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My question involves paternity law for the State of: Illinois . While we may be together I still want to file for full custody of our son because we do break up here and there and I am worried that if we break up after our son is born he will try to take him. ?

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Custody orders can be changed. You may have full custody once the child is born, but if he's found to be the father through a paternity test, he has every right to file for custody.

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Quoting cbg

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And no, neither Mom nor Dad can file for any kind of custody before the child is born.

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Either the mother or putative father may file a paternity case during the pregnancy, and they may ask the court to issue a custody order as part of that case (if the putative father's paternity is confirmed). The custody ruling won't be issued until after the child is born and, if the putative father requests it, paternity is verified by DNA testing.

The custody ruling won't be issued until after the child is born

That's the point I was trying to make.

I can't imagine any man not demanding a court ordered DNA test to verify paternity.