When a Bingham Farms couple decides their marriage is over, they have often gone through a lot of stress and anxiety to get to this point. Making the decision to divorce is never easy and can be even more complex if children are involved. Many custody arrangements in Michigan are for joint custody. But what does that really look like?
Legal custody
There are two types of joint custody in Michigan, legal and physical. The majority of Michigan courts award joint legal custody to the parents. This means that both parents is entitled equal access to the education, medical, religious and other pertinent records of their child. They also have equal say in important decisions. Routine decisions are made by the parent who is exercising their parenting time on that day. If the parents cannot agree on a major decision for the child, the court can intervene and conduct a hearing. A judge would hear arguments from both parents and make a decision.
Physical custody
Physical custody refers to where the child lives on a day-to-day basis. If the parents are awarded joint physical custody, then parenting time would be close to equal between both parents. There are other situations where one parent is named the primary or custodial parent and parenting time is given to the other parent.
A legal professional who is skilled in family law can help a parent understand their options when it comes to child custody. They understand that a parent may feel frustrated with the process, and they have the experience necessary to help answer questions and represent their client if necessary.