When Michigan women are in labor with a child, they typically want the father in the delivery room to support them during the process. But, if they don't for some reason, does the man have the right to be there? A recent court case has decided that fathers do not have...
paternity
Court ruling allows man to keep his parental rights
Many court rulings in Michigan are based on previous decisions. However, laws are always changing -- as are family situations. This means that courts must look to the best interests of the child and this could mean setting a precedent. A Michigan man who raised a...
Michigan man contests parental rights law
A Michigan man who fathered a child with a married woman is contesting a law that allowed the woman to deny him his parental rights. The man is questioning the constitutionality of the statute, which grants mothers significant discretion in deciding whether biological...
West Michigan lab introduces prenatal paternity tests
The new tests could have important legal implications and prove valuable for both men and women across Michigan. A Kalamazoo-based testing facility will become the first lab in West Michigan to allow patients to test a fetus's DNA to establish paternity before a child...
Battle for visitation and child custody ends with a name change
However, Dell sued Lakshmi after the paternity test proved him to be the father. The court recently granted him more custody and visitation rights than he had entered prior to the ruling, which was more restrictive. In addition, the court decided the daughter will...
How a father can stay connected to his kids through divorce
Although custody battles can put a significant strain on parent-child relationships, moms and dads still have a responsibility to maintain a connection with their children. Michigan divorce proceedings can be difficult on some fathers, who often are shut out of their...
Archaic Michigan law denies biological father custody of daughter
An old Michigan law stands in the way of a biological father's right to custody of his daughter, while the man who the state says has all the rights is in jail on drug charges. The man is now the inspiration behind a bill that will allow biological parents to petition...
Biological father fights old Michigan law to see his daughter
Under the law, Michigan fathers have the same rights to co-parenting as mothers. Often, a father may feel as though these rights have been violated. In some cases, the laws that are upheld in a court are antiquated and no longer relevant to a more modern familial...