Michigan Child Custody Lawyers
If Michigan parents cannot decide the legal and physical custody of their children in an annulment, divorce or separation, a Michigan court will have to do it for them.
At The Stroble Law Firm P.C., we believe it’s best for all parties involved if they can iron out their differences on this sensitive issue before they go before a judge. We also recognize that sometimes a dispute over child custody will be unavoidable and must be resolved by a court. Either way, our child custody attorneys strive to work out the best arrangement for the children and their parents.
For help with your child custody issues, contact Stroble Law Firm P.C. today at (888) 454-0801,or use our online contact form.
For information on child custody between states, including Michigan, please view our Interstate Child Custody page.
Legal custody gives a parent the authority to make decisions regarding the child’s health, welfare and education, and physical custody, which is where the child lives. A parent can have either sole custody or some form of joint legal and joint physical custody. The parent who does not have primary physical custody will generally receive visitation rights, also referred to as parenting time.
The court’s goal is to protect and promote the best interests of the child. In deciding which custody arrangement will meet this goal, the court looks at several factors, such as:
- Love, affection, and other emotional ties existing between the parties and child
- The capacity and disposition of the parties to give the child love, affection, and guidance and to continue the education and raising of the child in his or her religion or creed
- The capacity and disposition of the parties to provide the child with food, clothing, medical care or other remedial care
- The length of time the child has lived in a stable, satisfactory environment, and the desirability of maintaining continuity
- Permanence, as a family unit, of the existing or proposed custodial home or homes
- Moral fitness of the parties
- The mental and physical health of the parties
- The home, school, and community record of the child
- A child’s reasonable preference, if the child is of sufficient age to express preference
- The willingness and ability of each party to facilitate and encourage a close and continuing relationship between the child and the other parent, or the child and the parents
- Domestic violence, regardless of whether directed against or witnessed by the child
- Any other factor relevant to a particular child custody dispute
Child custody issues can become complicated when one of the parents is a resident of another state or plans to move outside of Michigan.
Under Michigan law, a mediator must be provided at the parents’ request to help them reach a voluntary resolution of their custody dispute. Although strongly encouraged, the appointment of a mediator is not required.
If a marriage goes through an annulment, separation or divorce, grandparents may seek visitation rights, but they are otherwise not entitled to any form of custody or visitation.
Based in Bloomfield Hills, The Stroble Law Firm represents clients across Michigan, including Macomb County, Oakland County, Warren, Clinton Township, Sterling Heights, St. Clair Shores, Mount Clemens, Utica, Roseville, Troy, Farmington Hills, Waterford, Southfield, Pontiac, Birmingham Michigan, Rochester Hills, West Bloomfield and Bloomfield Hills. Call The Stroble Law Firm at (888) 454-0801, or contact us online.
More information: Interstate Child Custody, Post-Judgment Modification: Child Custody
