| Each state has different laws and guidelines that | | | | the mother and father consult each other for every big |
| regulate how parents create their parenting plan. The | | | | decision? Will one person have that authority? Will |
| parenting plan, also called a custody agreement, is the | | | | each parent have the discretion to make decisions |
| document the court accepts that outlines how the | | | | during their custody time? These are the things that |
| parents will continue to raise their child after they are | | | | Michigan parents should decide and include in their |
| no longer together. In Michigan, parents must come up | | | | agreement. |
| with a plan that includes reasonable parenting time for | | | | Michigan law encourages parents to work together on |
| each parent as well as defining how the mother and | | | | their parenting plans. In fact, if parents are not able to |
| father will divide up responsibility over the children. | | | | come to an agreement, they first work with a Friend |
| There are also specific factors that they should think | | | | of the Court before going before a judge. The Friend |
| about that the court considers when deciding what | | | | of the Court is like a mediator who sits down with the |
| custody agreement to accept. Here are some | | | | parents and attempts to work out a plan. If this is |
| suggestions for parents in Michigan as they make their | | | | unsuccessful and the parents simply cannot agree, the |
| agreement. | | | | parents will go before a judge and the judge will |
| The first thing the mother and father should decide | | | | determine the plan. |
| about their agreement is the residential schedule of the | | | | Michigan county courts decide child custody matters. |
| children. This is the schedule that shows where the | | | | The mother and father will both have an opportunity to |
| children are every day of the year. In Michigan, the | | | | show a proposed plan to the court and explain why |
| requirement is that each parent has reasonable | | | | that plan is in the best interest of the child. The judge |
| parenting time. The exact interpretation of this is left to | | | | will then choose one of the parents' agreements or |
| each county court. The schedule of the kids is built on | | | | make a new one. The decision is based on what is |
| the foundation of a repeating cycle of custody and | | | | best for the child. When considering this, the judge will |
| visitation. On top of that the parents build the holiday | | | | look at the emotional ties that exist between the |
| schedule, vacation time, and special events. Since | | | | parent and the child, how long the child has lived in one |
| Michigan courts want proof that each parent has | | | | area, the mental and physical health of the parties |
| reasonable time, the parents might want to consider a | | | | involved, the school records of the child, the capacity |
| program that tells them the exact time-share | | | | of a parent to care for the child, any other factors that |
| percentage that each parent has with the children. | | | | influence the children. Once the judge has accepted a |
| Dividing up the responsibilities of the children is usually | | | | plan, it becomes the custody order and the parents |
| called legal custody. The big responsibility to divide is | | | | must follow it. |
| how the parents will make decisions of the children. Will | | | | |