Guiding Families To Sound Custody Decisions

If you are like the vast majority of parents who divorce in Michigan, you will have a joint child custody plan with your former spouse. However, exactly how that plan looks and works should be individualized to best meet the needs of your family. There are few limitations to working out what is best for you and your family.

Bloomfield Hills attorney Lisa D. Stern has guided families to sound decisions in custody matters since 1995. She can help you craft a joint child custody plan that helps both parents stay involved with their children’s lives.

What Is Joint Child Custody?

Many people think that a joint child custody plan means that you will share time with your children 50-50. However, joint custody does not necessarily mean that you and your former spouse will have equal time with your children. In most cases, however, one parent will have primary physical custody, at least during the school week. The other parent will have overnight visits according to a parenting plan that you and your spouse negotiate.

Michigan courts have age-appropriate guidelines for the amount of time the child spends with each parent:

• Infant to one year
• One year to five years
• Children of school age
• Teenage years

For each stage of your child’s life, a different parenting time schedule may be appropriate.

Even though you and your spouse may not have equal time with your children, you will have equal say in major life decisions for your child. In addition, a spouse with primary residential custody will need court permission to relocate with the child or change schools if the other parent objects.

Read our article that discusses a study showing public opinion in favor of equal custody.

Contact Lawyer Lisa D. Stern

For an initial consultation with Michigan lawyer Lisa D. Stern, call 800-550-3717 or complete our online contact form. You can discuss every aspect of joint custody and parenting time with utmost candor and confidentiality.