The state of Michigan has very exact laws that provide guidelines for parents to make a custody and visitation schedule.
These laws are found in Chapter 552 of the Michigan Revised Statutes, and they are key for a parent who needs to make a schedule that the court will accept.
Within these statutes, parents will find that they must make a visitation schedule that includes reasonable parenting time for each parent, that the state of Michigan encourages parents to work out their schedule without the assistance of a judge, and that the state has certain factors the parents should think about when deciding what is in the best interest of the child.
Here is an overview of these important points that impact the custody schedule.
1.
Each parent must have reasonable parenting time.
The Michigan law states that both parents should have reasonable parenting time with the child.
This allows for a lot of flexibility as the parents make their custody and visitation schedules, and it also means that the schedule must be fair.
There isn't an exact formula for determining what reasonable parenting time is--this is left for the mother and father to decide.
It is based on what the child needs.
Parents should make sure that each parent has enough time with the child to build and maintain a nurturing relationship.
The custody statutes also encourages parents to have joint custody whenever possible.
2.
A Friend of the Court.
Chapter 552.
501-552.
535 is the Friend of the Court Act.
This act requires parents who are not able to agree on a custody and visitation schedule to meet with a friend of the court who can help them make fair custody arrangements.
It is very similar to mediation and the goal is to help the contested case get resolved before going to court.
The court appoints a friend of the court who acts in the child's best interest and parents should put forth a good faith effort to work with each other and the friend so that the best custody schedule can be determined.
3.
Factors considered when determining the best interest of the child.
If the parents are still not able to agree on the visitation schedule, they must go to court and let a judge decide about the schedule.
The judge will make a decision based on the best interest of the child.
This is the standard found in the Michigan Revised Statutes.
Some of the factors that the judge will consider when thinking about the best interest of the child are: the love, affection, and other emotional ties between each parent and the child; the capacity of the each parent to give the child love, affection, and guidance and to continue the education of the child; the ability of each parent to provide food, clothing, medical care, and other needs to the child; the length of time the child has been in a stable environment; the permanence of the existing or proposed custodial home; the moral fitness of the parents; the health of the parents and the child; the child's home, school, and community; the preference of the child; the willingness of the parents to encourage the child to see the other parent; any history of domestic violence; and any other factor that is relevant to the particular case.