Both parents should spend as much time as possible with their children in a happy marriage. It’s not even fair to ask about how frequently a father should visit his child. Children already experience confusion and stress as they adjust to a divorced life. Both parents must let the other parent see their children. Parenting time should not be restricted by any of the parents.
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The current focus in Michigan is on assisting the children in adjusting to a divorce situation when parents frequently interact in separate residences.
In a divorce, custody dispute, or other family court issue, a custody and parenting time order may be made. Parenting time and custody have a significant impact on your children’s living arrangements, frequency of visits with each parent, and decision-making for them.
The only people who can be granted custody and parenting time are legal parents. Legal parentage is conferred upon the individual who gives birth to the child. If you are married to the parent who gives birth, you are the child’s other legal parent by default in Michigan. Even if you are not the biological father of the child, this is still true.
Until you take specific actions to prove your paternity, even if you are the child’s biological father but you’re not married to the mother at the time of the child’s birth or conception, your paternity claim won’t hold water.
The Truth About Child Custody
Legal and physical custody are the two sorts. Legal custody entails having the authority to decide on issues significant to your children, such as their education, their religion (if any), and their main medical care. Living arrangements for the children are referred to as physical custody.
Sole custody indicates that just one parent has custody; joint custody means both parents share custody. When parents have joint legal custody of their children, they must come to key choices together. Children who have joint physical custody spend some time with each parent.
Early on in the case, the Friend of the Court will decide on the initial custody arrangement. Based on the information received from each parent, the Friend of the Court will make a recommendation. The right to oppose this recommendation and to convince the judge that a different order or recommendation should be made is then available to each party.
A child custody arrangement can also be reached through negotiation between the parties; if the judge determines that it is in the children’s best interests, the judge will approve it.
If there has been a change in circumstances or there is good cause, child custody might be changed. The change must be for the children’s best interests. It is incumbent on the party requesting the modification to provide proof that a change has taken place, that a valid reason exists, and that the proposed change is in the children’s best interests.
You must convince the court you can handle the time and you sincerely want to raise your children if you want to be granted extended parenting time. Get as involved with your children as you can before your custody hearing, and keep detailed records of everything you do. Stick to a schedule that works for you and your children.
Even if you disagree with a court order, you must obey it. Assemble your proof and witnesses. Present this evidence to the judge in court. Demonstrate why spending as much time with you as feasible is in the children’s best interests.
The Truth About Parenting Time
In Michigan, the time a child spends with each parent when they do not share a residence is referred to as parenting time. When one party is granted sole physical custody, that parent often receives more parenting time or time with the child than the other parent. Even though it is not a requirement, parenting time is frequently equal or nearly equal when parties share physical custody.
Instead of having parenting time supplied for specific days and times, “reasonable parenting time” allows parents to arrange parenting time as they go without a predetermined schedule. If there is a disagreement about what constitutes adequate parenting time, you must ask the judge to rule on the matter in a motion.
There is a schedule in place if you are given certain parenting time. If conversing with the other parent of your child is something you feel comfortable doing, you might be able to reach an agreement on a parenting time schedule. If the two of you are unable to agree, the court might instead set a timeline.
The relationship between the infant and both parents is crucial to the development of the child. Parents should take into account a schedule allowing the infant frequent contact with both parents because infants have limited memory spans. Frequent parenting time of several hours a couple of days each week may be more suitable initially, in cases when a parent is unsure of how to provide basic care for the baby or feels uncomfortable doing so. All parenting time should be regular and cause the baby’s routine as little disruption as possible.
Raising a child in two different households can be very difficult, especially when dealing with stepfamily members and conveying changes in the child’s life. It can also exacerbate discrepancies in parenting and disciplinary methods. A parenting time schedule aids in providing stability and predictability for both parents and children.
Additionally, it might give both parents the chance to actively engage with their child. Healthy parent-child interactions can promote a child’s growth, academic success, and general mental wellness.
Parenting time typically functions best when parents can come to an agreement on a timetable that is in the best interests of the child. The most painful experience of their childhood is frequently cited by adult children of separated parents as losing contact with a parent or witnessing conflict between their parents or other caregivers.
In addition to the schedule, a parenting time plan addresses other details including how to communicate schedule changes, how to move the child’s clothes or toys back and forth, and more.
The State Court Administrative Office of Michigan published The Parenting Time Guideline in February 2021 and updated it just recently in March 2022.
The Parenting Time Guideline is aimed at parents, although judges, court personnel, mediators, lawyers, and other professionals involved in parenting time conflicts may also use it.
How Many Times A Week Is Good Parenting Time
If you’re a typical worker in the U.S. you’re probably working 12 to 16 hours a day. If you add an average of 6 to 7 hours of sleep you’re basically doing everything else an average of 3 to 4 hours a day on weekdays. Just leaves you most of the weekend to see your kids. If you’re taking parenting time seriously, you really just have weekends and 3 to 4 hours a day for your kids. It’s basically eating time or taking them to school or getting them home on weekdays.
Like what the science says, your child will need an average of 9 to 11 hours of sleep in a normal household, whatever that means today. In Michigan, according to the State Education Practices, your child will spend 6 hours of school work excluding lunch and recess on school days. So where does that leave you in terms of juggling your 3 to 4 hours a day supposedly for your parenting time?
Whatever you do, however good you are at parenting (or bad), you really just have 24 hours a day to work on it. In real terms you have at most 3 hours a day unless you’re the custodial parent and you’re working from home.
Amazingly, both the parents and the children have an identical number of hours for carefree time or playtime. It’s 3 to 4 hours a day, not counting weekends.
There is no parenting course in college nor in high school. Nobody ever took a bachelor’s degree just to get married or be a parent. You need a guide. Maybe a course or some similar training. We can’t recommend specifically what course or if there’s even such a course or curriculum. What we are sure of is The Parenting Time Guide published by the State Court Administrative Office of Michigan provides suggested guides and framework for parenting time.
It’s not a question now of how many times a week but the quality of every moment you spend with your kids. The state or the court will probably impose more time if it was possible. The court also understands you need to make ends meet because you have child support to worry about. Get all the help available to create the highest quality encounter with your children. There are electronic calendars and software to plan parenting time. There are suggested templates in the Parenting Time Guideline published by the state of Michigan.
Everyday parenting time is great but the more practical approach is to negotiate weekends and holidays. Most of the parenting time plans are mostly based on those.
It’s not how much time you can put in but how much you can make use of.
A father will have to make do with what available time he has. He needs to make each of those spare 3 to 4 hours a day count or come up with great weekend and holiday moments. It won’t really work if you’re not collaborating with your ex in the parenting schedule.
There’s many ways to go about it but the first step is work on your parenting time plan. Work with your attorney in seeing to it your parenting time plan gets integrated into the parenting time order.
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Goldman & Associates Law Firm is here to with information about Child Custody and Divorce in the State of Michigan.