Child Custody Attorney Near Me

Child Custody Attorney Near Me

When parents are separated or divorced, knowing where a child will live and who will make decisions about that child’s life can be more than emotional – it can be downright contentious. Before you let your feelings get the best of you and things get out of control, it is wise to hire an experienced Michigan child custody attorney who can help you to understand Michigan’s child custody laws, and how to pursue a child custody arrangement through Michigan courts.

Types of Parenting Plans in Michigan

There are three types of parenting plans in Michigan that parents may submit to the court for consideration: Parenting time, supervised parenting time, and joint custody.

• Parenting time. Parenting time is the amount of time set aside for a child and their parent to spend time together. Unless parents of a child agree to an arrangement on their own, the court will determine how much parenting time a party is allocated. Potential parenting time schedules include alternating weekends/weeks, sharing of holidays, splitting up of holiday and school breaks, spending Mother’s Day with the mom and Father’s Day with the dad, etc.

• Supervised parenting time. In some situations, the court may order supervised parenting time for one or both parties. This may be the case when there is a concern about a child’s safety or the mental stability of one or both parents. Parenting time may be supervised by an agency, a third party, or a therapist.

• Joint custody. The third arrangement is joint custody of a child, which is the arrangement that is most often encouraged; maintaining a loving relationship with both parents is in a child’s best interests. In order for joint custody to be granted, parents must agree that the child will reside with both parents during different periods, and must acknowledge that both parents have legal decision-making powers over the child. In this sense, joint legal custody and joint physical custody work as a pair. However, in some cases, one parent may haves sole physical custody, but parties may share joint legal custody.

How the Van Den Heuvel Law Office Can Help

At the Van Den Heuvel law Office, we are committed to helping you secure the best outcome possible for your child. We prioritize a child’s best interests, and work with you and your spouse to create a parenting plan that puts your child first. While we believe that non-contentious, out-of-court resolutions are always best for all parties involved, we are willing and prepared to take your divorce to trial if need be.

To schedule a free consultation with our talented Michigan child custody attorneys today, call our offices directly. Or, write us a message using our online form.