Child Custody

West Michigan has some excellent public school options. There are also numerous private schools with good reputations and an assortment of different charter schools as well. Most parents enroll their children at the nearest public school, although some families make...

A divorce is tough on everybody, but perhaps the children most of all. At least one of the spouses chose to end their marriage, and many times, both spouses agree that the relationship is over. But the youngest and most vulnerable members of the family typically have...

The issues in your marriage came to a head, with you and your spouse deciding to go your separate ways. However, it’s not as simple as moving in separate directions now because you have children together. You negotiated effectively during divorce proceedings and a shared custody agreement has been signed off on by the court. Now, it’s up to you…

If you’re single or divorced without children, it’s up to you when and where you want to move. But if you’re divorced, and you have children with a former spouse, this can cause some problems. For example, say that you’re originally from another state, but you moved to Michigan for college. You got married, had a child and then got…

Custody of the children can be physical or legal. Physical custody covers the locations of the children and how parenting time is shared, while legal custody determines the decision-making rights of each parent. When you share legal custody with your co-parent, both of you have the legal authority to make key decisions affecting the children’s lives. It is a crucial…

If you and your co-parent are in the process of separating or divorcing this summer, you may already be dreading how you’re going to work together once the new school year starts. If you’re sharing custody, whether equally or not, you both want to remain involved in your child’s education and other activities. However, that’s going to require some communication…

One of the most divisive parenting issues for many couples involves access to electronics and digital technology. This can include everything from when kids are old enough to have a smartphone to how much time they can spend playing games to whether they have unlimited access to Netflix. For separated and divorced parents, these issues can be particularly challenging –…

As a parent who is considering divorce, you may be concerned about what it’s going to mean for your children. You love them more than anything and you want to give them the best possible future. You’ve heard many people say that you should stay together — even if you’re unhappy in your marriage — so that they have that…

When you and your ex got divorced, the court ruled that the two of you needed to share both legal and physical custody. This means that you both get to spend time with your children, and they likely live with you for some of this time. But what if your ex decides that they’re not going to let you see…

Perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of navigating a divorce involving minor children is to remember to center and support them through the process. Divorce can be just as hard (or harder) on young children as it is on the adults involved. No matter how contentious your divorce settlement was, once you finish negotiating the parenting plan, you have…