At Wilson Kester the Empowered Divorce Source, our dedicated staff will conduct a thorough initial interview with you to learn about the current custodial situation your child is familiar with. We will then use this information to help you determine what custodial arrangement would be most beneficial for your child. Together, we will work to develop the most effective strategy for achieving your case goals.

Child custody, parenting time, and support create some of the most significant challenges in family law cases. These issues deeply affect families, making it essential to keep the children’s best interests as the focus. As Michigan’s top-rated child custody attorneys, we encourage mindful communication between parents and emphasize reducing conflict in front of children. Effective communication requires patience, empathy, and mutual respect.

Separation or divorce often leads to worries about time with your children. Losing time together can feel overwhelming. For parents with primary custody, concerns may include differences between households. This could include things such as discipline, routines, or influences from others in the co-parent’s home. These challenges often grow as children age or when custody schedules shift.

Child support brings its own set of concerns. Parents paying support may struggle with questions about affordability or fairness. On the other hand, those receiving support may worry it won’t cover their child’s needs. These issues carry weight and impact families directly. Michigan uses a formula that considers both parents’ incomes and other key factors. You can estimate your support obligations using the Michigan Child Support Calculator.

What is Legal Child Custody?

Legal custody gives a parent the authority and responsibility to make major decisions about a child’s upbringing, including medical care, education, religious instruction, and extracurricular activities.

What is Joint Custody?

It is uncommon for one parent to be awarded sole legal custody. In most circumstances, parents can expect to be awarded joint legal custody of their child. With joint legal custody, both parents must agree on the important decisions affecting the life of their child. Where there is disagreement, help from the court may be necessary.

What is Physical Child Custody?

Physical custody refers to the child’s physical living arrangement or ‘home base’. A child can have one or two home bases. Primary physical custody means the child primarily resides with one parent but also spends scheduled time with the other parent. Joint physical custody refers to the child having a home base with each parent.

What is Parenting Time?

Parenting time is the schedule parents follow to spend time with their children. Parents are encouraged to create a schedule that works best for their child and both households. Each family is unique, and the parenting time schedule should reflect that, considering factors like distance between homes and the child’s individual needs.

Our firm played a role in the development of Michigan’s parenting time guidelines’ most recent edition, which provides alternative parenting time schedules based on the developmental age of the child.