How Do Michigan Courts Decide Who Gets Child Custody?

 Posted on December 29, 2017 in Divorce

Divorce is always stressful and emotionally draining. When children are involved, the stress and emotional strain is even greater. Judges who handle divorce cases regularly will tell you that determining child custody cases is very difficult, as they must consider a multitude of factors. Michigan has a prescribed guideline for the courts to reference when making child custody decisions. While the guideline is helpful to judges in making determinations about custody, there are a variety of other factors judges consider when making custody decisions.

Judges will often consider factors such as a child's age, the parent's ability to care for the child, parent's criminal record, etc. Sometimes, Michigan judges will talk with children during divorce proceedings to ask for their opinion regarding custodial matters. In these cases, judges typically assure the child that their opinion is important, but that the decision will be made from the bench, relieving the child from feeling like they betrayed one parent.

While Michigan judges vary in terms of how they handle child custody matters, one thing remains constant across the state – parties who use expert legal representation are far more likely to have the child custody decision result in their favor than if they represented themselves, or hired a novice attorney with little child custody experience.

Fortunately, those living in Metro Detroit have a law firm located in Novi comprised of expert litigators with tremendous experience in handling all aspects of divorce. The attorneys at Elkouri Heath PLC are widely regarded as some of the preeminent specialists in the area of divorce and family law. The lawyers are skilled in helping courts better understand all of the factors surrounding child custody cases and have helped their clients maintain strong relationships with their children after a divorce. If you are facing a divorce and are concerned about child custody matters, contact the experts at Elkouri Heath PC today for a free consultation!