Custody
There are two types of custody- legal and physical. They are distinctly different.
~Legal custody is the major decision making process pertaining to a child’s medical, educational, and religious upbringing.
~Physical custody is not actually defined by a law but is a term associated with the amount of time a child spends with each parent.
If the parents cannot agree, then the award of custody is determined by 13 factors, applied by the Court- Best interest of the child per statute (MCL 722.23).
Parenting time
Parenting time is the division of time/care for children. Often parenting time is developed around work schedules and the already existing care schedule of the family. There is no single schedule that will work for all families. In each case, MKS Law will consider the needs of the family, the logistics involved with exchanges, and the relevant statutory factors when advocating for a parenting time schedule.
Paternity
Paternity cases are filed to establish a biological father’s parental rights to a child. In some cases, the father is not listed on the birth certificate, and in others, the parties started to raise the child together but then broke up. Once paternity has been confirmed (either by consent or by DNA testing), then custody, parenting time and child support are established in a Court Order.
