Ludington Child Custody Attorney

Ludington Child Custody Attorney Can Assist with Custody and Parenting Time

Coming to an agreement on a child custody and a visitation schedule is a stressful and complicated experience for many people. Hiring a Ludington child custody attorney can help reduce potential conflicts and keep your focus on what is best for your children. At the Van Den Heuvel Law Office, we specialize in helping families reach the best resolution to their child custody situation while handling the matter with compassion.

Legal vs Physical Custody

There are two different aspects to child custody — physical custody and legal custody. These are two distinct types of custody, and it is important to understand how they differ. Whoever has physical custody of the child is the parent who is responsible for providing the child with a place to live. Legal custody deals with who has the responsibility for the child’s well-being. Legal custody includes making important decisions like those relating to medical care, religion, and education.

Depending on your situation and the judge’s decision, both of you may be awarded legal and physical custody, or one parent may be awarded custody in each category, etc. There is no absolute that only one parent gets legal custody while the other gets physical custody, or that one parent always gets both.

How Courts Determine Custody

There are a number of factors that judges look at when determining a custody agreement. Some of these include:

• Moral fitness of both parents
• Parents’ capacity to offer love, attention, and guidance to help with the child’s academic upbringing
• The child’s school, home, and community record
• The child’s preference (if reasonable and applicable)
• The parents’ physical and mental health
• How long has the child been in a stable custodial environment, and the desire to keep him or her in this current environment
• What is each parent’s willingness to work with the other parent in regard to the custody order
• Parents’ ability and capacity to provide medical care, food, clothing, and other necessities as defined under Michigan law
• Any other factors the court deems reasonable.

Parenting Time Agreements

A parenting time agreement is a court-ordered visitation agreement that determines when the child lives and/or spends time at each parent’s home. These agreements can be unique to your individual situation and what works best. The agreement can range from very liberal, where both parents share time equally, or it can be quite restrictive, where one parent is only allowed supervised daytime visits. Visits that are supervised are only ordered if there are legitimate concerns over your child’s safety during their time with that parent.

Retain a Ludington Child Custody Attorney

If you need assistance with resolving a custody dispute or drawing up a parenting time agreement, an experienced Ludington child custody attorney can help. Contact the Van Den Heuvel Law Office today to schedule a consultation. Let one of our skilled family law attorneys help resolve all your child custody needs.