Bloomfield Hills Child Custody Lawyers

Child custody concerns are serious matters that directly affect your parental rights, and that deserve the professional legal guidance of an experienced Bloomfield Hills child custody lawyer. Issues related to child custody tend to be both legally and emotionally challenging, and when your kids are involved, the matter is simply too important to proceed alone.

Child Custody

In Michigan, child custody addresses all the following:

• Legal Custody
• Physical Custody
• Parenting Time

Let’s take a closer look at each. 

Legal Custody

Legal custody determines who will be making important decisions related to your children’s upbringing, including:

• Your children’s education
• Your children’s healthcare needs
• Your children’s extracurriculars
• Your children’s religious upbringing

Legal custody can be taken on by one of you (sole legal custody) or can be shared by both of you (joint legal custody). An important point to make is that the everyday decisions we face as parents – such as where to grab lunch – are the responsibility of the parent who has the children at the time. 

Physical Custody

Physical custody determines how the children split their time between both parents. Physical custody can similarly be either sole or joint, but even if one parent has sole custody, the other parent won’t be denied visitation of some kind except under exceptional circumstances. When the children live the majority of the time with one parent, that parent’s home is considered the children’s primary residence, and that parent is the custodial parent. 

Parenting Time

In Michigan, parenting time refers to the time that the parent who has the children less often (the non-custodial parent) spends with the children. In addition to delineating when this parent has the children it can address other means of contact, including video chats, phone calls, and electronic communications. 

Your Child Custody Arrangements

It is important to address the fact that, even if you and your ex share your time with your children exactly equally, this does not mean that the court will automatically also award you joint legal custody. If you and your children’s other parent cannot demonstrate a willingness and ability to cooperate regarding this primary decision-making responsibility, the court may award one of you sole legal custody. 

Factors that Affect the Court’s Custody Determinations

Michigan courts base their child custody determinations on the best interests of the children, and toward this end, the court considers a wide range of factors that include:

• The emotional connection between each child and each parent  
• Each parent’s ability and willingness to provide each child with the necessary love, affection, care, and guidance 
• The length of time the children have lived in their present situation and the value of maintaining the status quo
• Each parent’s physical and mental health – as well as the moral fitness of each

It’s Time to Consult with an Experienced Bloomfield Hills Child Custody Lawyer

The accomplished Bloomfield Hills child custody lawyers at the Law Offices of Robbins & Licavoli dedicate their impressive legal practice to protecting the parental rights of clients like you. For more information about how we can help you, please do not hesitate to contact us today.