Life’s significant transitions often require legal guidance and support. Perhaps you’re considering divorce after years in your Bloomfield Hills home, preparing for a new chapter through adoption, or working to protect your children’s relationship with their grandparents who live just down Woodward Avenue. These pivotal moments call for experienced legal counsel who understands both family law and our local community. Family law touches the most personal aspects of people’s lives, which makes choosing the right attorney crucial to achieving the best possible outcome.
At Jackman & Kasody PLLC, the attorneys bring over 60 years of combined experience to every case handled. From their offices in Bingham Farms and Northville, they serve clients throughout Bloomfield Hills, Birmingham, Grosse Point, and the surrounding communities. Jackman & Kasody’s deep understanding of Michigan family law, combined with their extensive knowledge of local courts, allows them to provide strategic, effective representation tailored to each client’s unique situation. Take advantage of a free consultation to discuss your family law matter and learn how Jackman & Kasody can help protect your interests.
In Michigan, the mother automatically has initial custody of the child. However, this doesn’t affect the father’s right to seek parenting time or custody in court. Under Michigan law, either parent has the following rights:
In addition, both parents have the legal responsibility to support the child and comply with any court orders regarding child support.
In Michigan, you are considered the child’s natural father once you and the mother sign an acknowledgment of parentage form. If the mother doesn’t agree to sign the form with you, you can still establish your parental rights by filing a notice of intent to claim paternity in any Michigan court before the child is born. Once you file this notice, the law will consider you the child’s father unless the mother denies you are. If the mother denies that you are the father, you have the right to be notified of any hearing to establish paternity.
An acknowledgment of parentage form is the easiest way to establish your rights as a father under Michigan law. You can sign this form at any point in the child’s life. Once both parents sign this affidavit, Michigan will consider you the child’s natural father. To be legally valid, an acknowledgment of parentage form must be:
If you use a witness instead of a notary public, the witness must be:
The witness must sign and date the affidavit and provide their name, address, and workplace. Once you sign the affidavit, Michigan will treat you as the biological father of the child, even without any genetic testing.
You give up certain rights when you sign an acknowledgment of parentage form, including:
If you discover that you may not be the biological father of the child later on, you must first file a revocation of paternity claim, asking the court to set aside your previous acknowledgment of paternity. If the court agrees to set aside your acknowledgment of paternity form, you can then file a case to establish whether you are the father or not.
If the mother isn’t willing to sign an acknowledgment of parentage form with you, you will need to ask the court for help. According to the Michigan Friend of the Court Bureau, either parent can ask the court to conduct genetic testing to establish paternity. The state does not acknowledge home testing kits, so you will need to go through the court to get an official test result. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services can also ask a court to conduct a paternity hearing.
If you both live in Michigan, you should file your paternity case in the county where the mother or the child lives. If the mother and child do not live in Michigan, you should file in the county where you live.
Michigan also allows you to establish parental rights through adoption.
Establishing paternity is not the same thing as parenting time or custody of your child. Michigan courts award custody based on 12 factors, including:
According to the Friend of the Court Bureau’s Custody and Parenting Time Investigation Manual, the court may order any of the following custody arrangements:
If the court orders joint custody, then the child will live at both houses alternately according to a schedule. If the court awards sole custody to one parent, then it may also award scheduled parenting time to the other parent.
If you are an unmarried parent and need to resolve paternity and custody issues, Jackman & Kasody can help. You have legal rights and responsibilities as a parent, even if the other parent does not want to acknowledge them, and a lawyer can help you establish and defend those rights. If you and the other parent both acknowledge your paternity, a lawyer can help you fill out an acknowledgment of parentage form correctly and agree on a shared custody arrangement the court will accept. If you need to ask a court to establish paternity, a family law attorney can help you understand your rights and prepare for your child custody case.
Jackman & Kasody PLLC are divorce and family law specialists serving clients in Bingham Farms and Northville, Michigan, and the surrounding communities. We will fight for you, your children, and your financial future as a family. If you have a divorce or family law matter that you need to resolve, contact us today to get started with a free consultation.
