Child Custody Attorneys in Michigan

Working to Protect the Best Interests of You & Your Child

When two parents divorce or separate, one of their primary concerns is the future of their child/children. Child custody is often an emotional and contentious issue during divorce, but it is important that you refrain from putting your child in the middle of any court battles.

When awarding child custody, the state’s primary focus is on the “best interests of the child.” This may or may not align with what you believe to be your child’s best interests. At Grewal Law PLLC, we can help you work to protect your parental rights and your access to your child. We assist both fathers, mothers, adoptive and LGBTQ parents, and families from all walks of life.

Contact our child custody attorneys in Michigan for a free consultation. Call (888) 211-5798 or submit an online contact form today.

Types of Child Custody in Michigan

The state of Michigan recognizes several different types of child custody:

• Sole Physical Custody: Only one parent is in control of the child’s day-to-day activities and retains primary rights to physical custody of the child, meaning the child only lives with this parent. The other parent may still be granted visitation rights (also known as “parenting time”).
• Sole Legal Custody: Only one parent is responsible for making important decisions (regarding education, health care, religion, etc.) on behalf of the child. Typically, if a parent has sole physical custody, he/she will also be granted sole legal custody (though not always).
• Joint Physical Custody: The child splits time between both parents. This does not mean the child spends equal amounts of time with both parents but, rather, that a schedule is set to meet the best interests of the child.
• Joint Legal Custody: Both parents are responsible for making certain decisions about the child’s health care, education, religion, activities, etc. This typically requires the two parents to work together to reach decisions that best benefit the child.

Despite popular belief, it is important to remember that Michigan does not automatically award physical or legal custody to the mother of a child. Instead, the court will weigh a variety of factors when determining a custody agreement that will be most beneficial to your child.

How Child Custody & Parenting Time Are Awarded

There are a number of factors that the court takes into account when determining how to award child custody in Michigan.

These factors include the following:

• The financial, emotional, and intellectual ability of both parents to provide for the child
• The age of the child (a mother will likely be awarded custody of a small infant, etc.)
• The preferences of the child (if applicable and appropriate)
• The established relationship between either parent and the child
• The willingness of both parents to continue a relationship with the child
• Whether or not there is a history of violence and/or abuse in regards to either parent
• The location of each parent’s home in regards to the child’s school, church, etc.

This list is not exhaustive. Depending on your unique situation, the court may take other extraneous factors into account when awarding custody.

Furthermore, what the court considers to be your child’s “best interests” may not align with your point of view. No one knows your family better than you do, but the court will likely not consider this when awarding custody. If you wish to avoid having an impartial judge rule on something so important as where your child will live, you may want to consider mediation. Mediation allows two divorcing or separating parents to make decisions regarding the terms of their divorce, including child custody. You must be able to come to mutual agreements with your spouse in order to successfully complete mediation, however, so this is only an ideal option for those people who believe they can do so.

Parenting Time (Visitation) in Michigan

Visitation, known as “parenting time” in Michigan, is similar to but somewhat different than child custody. Parenting time is the amount of time each parent is allowed to spend with their child. It can be awarded even when one parent has primary or sole custody. The court will often work with the parents in order to set up a parenting time schedule.

The amount of time a child will spend with each parent depends on a wide variety of factors, including but not limited to:

• The child’s school schedule, including vacations, holidays, and summer breaks
• The work schedule of each parent
• Where each parent lives in regards to the child’s school/location of other activities
• The needs of the child, including any special medical needs
• Holidays, birthdays, and other special occasions
• The relationship between each parent and the child

It is rare that a parent is not allowed any parenting time whatsoever; however, it may happen if the court believes that the child’s health, safety, or wellbeing may be in jeopardy if he/she spends time with a parent.

Child Custody for LGBTQ Parents

LGBTQ parents may have unique concerns when it comes to child custody. If your spouse’s daughter is not biologically related to you, will you still be able to spend time with her? What if you never formally adopted your son?

Michigan’s Equitable Parent Doctrine allows an individual to retain parenting rights even if he or she is not the biological parent of the child or has not formally adopted the child. This ruling, originally passed in 1987, was expanded in 2015 to apply to LGBTQ parents. As long as a parenting relationship has been established between you and the child in question, you can exercise your right to parenting time.

To establish that a parenting relationship exists between yourself and the child, you must show the following:

• Both the biological parent and the child mutually agree that a parenting relationship exists between the other person and the child.
• The non-biological parent wishes to maintain a relationship with the child and is willing to pay child support.

If you are concerned about your rights to parenting time, custody, or any other aspect of spending time with your child following a divorce or separation, contact Grewal Law PLLC. Our child custody attorneys serve clients throughout the state of Michigan, offering compassionate, personalized legal guidance and tireless advocacy.

Get in touch with us at (888) 211-5798 to learn more about how our legal team can assist you. We offer free, confidential consultations.