There are two types of joint custody. Joint legal custody allows both parents to participate in important decisions regarding the child (i.e. medical care, education, religion, etc.). Joint physical custody affects the child's living arrangement and the amount of parenting time afforded each parent.
Joint physical custody must be considered by the court if requested by either parent or may be considered on the court's own initiative. MCL 722.26a(1). For joint custody to be successful the parents must have the ability to cooperate and "generally agree" on decisions regarding the child. MCL 722.26a(1)(b).
We have found that for joint custody to work the parties must have the ability to co-parent, live in close proximity to each other and the parents must be willing to foster a healthy relationship with both families as well as have similar expectations for that child. Joint custody is not for every family and is generally unsuccessful in high conflict cases but it does work great for some. Joint custody schedules can vary immensely in each case. Some joint custody schedules provide for one parent to have custody during the school year with the other parent exercising parenting time during alternating holiday breaks and the entire summer vacation. Still other families prefer the traditional week on week off schedule. Other families rotate on a three days on and three days off schedule (or any number of days) and still some alternate every other day.
If you think joint custody is best for your child, contact us so we can help you find a unique schedule that fits the needs of your family.
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