There are many different ways that parents in Michigan raise their children. Much of their parenting style may be determined by their children’s personality and needs. How parents raise one of their children may be different than how they raise another one of their children. Due to this parenting is very unique from family to family or even child to child. How parents do this does not really matter when they are married, but if the parents divorce, then courts will analyze how they raised their children.
Judges need to make child custody decisions in divorces. Child custody decisions include determining which parent will make the decisions for the children as well as when each parent will have the children in their care. These are not easy decisions though and there is no formula that judges can use to make the decisions. Due to the unique nature of parenting, judges will analyze a number of factors to determine what is in the best interests of the children.
Best interest of the children factors
The factors that judges will analyze, include, but are not limited to:
- The children’s relationship with each parent.
- Each parent’s ability to care for and provide for the children’s emotional and physical needs.
- How established the children are in their current community and schools.
- The mental and physical health of the parents and the children.
- The children’s wishes if they are of a suitable age and maturity to state their preferences.
- Whether there was domestic violence.
- The willingness of the parents to encourage a relationship with the other parent.
There are many parents who go through divorce each year in Michigan. There are many difficult decisions that must be made during the divorce, but one of the most difficult can be the custody decisions. These decisions have a major impact on their relationship with their children. The decisions need to take into account the unique circumstances of the marriage and how the children were raised. Experienced attorneys understand these difficult decisions and may be able to guide one through the process.