A trial court can enter and order changing custody, however, before a court may consider modification, the party requesting the change must demonstrate proper cause or a change of circumstances since the entry of the last custody order.
There is a barrier to modification of custody, child support, spousal support (alimony) and parenting time. The barrier is proper cause or change of circumstances. In a prior article, we examined the seminal case on the subject, Vodvarka v. Grassmeyer which defines both proper cause and change of circumstances in the context of a child[…]
On August 22, 2017, the Michigan Court of Appeals in the case of Roe v. Roe upheld the trial court’s decision to change child custody from the mother to the father. In the Roe case, the parties married in 2006, separated in 2010, and divorced in 2014. The father is a soldier in the United[…]
Figuring out how to change custody in Michigan can be complicated. To make things less complicated, we created the “How to change custody in Michigan checklist” to help you navigate the process. How to change custody in Michigan – The checklist. You cannot just show up to court anytime you want to change custody in[…]
The Michigan Court of Appeals recently decided a case involving dental hygiene to change custody, affirming the trial court’s decision that there was neither proper cause or a change of circumstances sufficient to warrant a change of custody. In the case of Kelly v. Johnson, Michigan Court of Appeals Case No. 334144, the father was[…]
The Brady Bunch got it right when they sang the once well-known verse of their hit single: “When it’s time to change, you’ve got to rearrange.” However, in custody cases, change does not always come easy. In fact, Michigan custody modification law makes it difficult to “rearrange” custody if the change is really big. By[…]
The established custodial environment. Under Michigan child custody law, the established custodial environment is the parent a child naturally looks to for guidance, discipline, the necessities of life, and parental comfort. The law defining the established custodial environment is Michigan Compiled Laws, section 722.27. Why is the established custodial environment so important? The established custodial environment is important[…]
Custody modification. In Michigan, a child custody determination can be modified. The statutory authority for a court to modify a custody determination is found in Michigan Compiled Laws section 722.27(c). In order to modify a Michigan child custody determination, the party seeking to change child custody must first provide a good basis for the modification.[…]