An issue of child custody will come up, either through divorce, paternity cases, or other custody disputes.  Under Michigan law, child custody is divided into two parts: physical custody and legal custody. In a divorce or custody dispute, the child’s parents need to address the issues of both legal and physical custody.

Physical custody describes where the child is physically residing.  Legal custody, as a separate part, is the authority to make major decisions affecting the child’s welfare, such as education, medical care, discipline and religion.

Legal custody can, and often, is shared between the parties.  This is referred to as joint legal custody.  Joint legal custody means that the child’s parents share the authority to make decisions affecting the child’s welfare.  Joint legal custody brings along with it both privileges and limitations for the parents. Most significantly, it limits both parents from moving.  Both parents who share joint legal custody cannot move out of state or more than 100 miles from where they currently reside.  If a parent then needs to move out of state, they would need court permission or a written agreement from the other parent to do so.

If you find that you are facing an issue involving a custody dispute, contact the attorneys at ADAM.

About ADAM (American Divorce Association for Men)

The American Divorce Association for Men (ADAM) is a group of highly qualified attorneys who advocate for men’s rights in divorce, child custody and parenting time, paternity, support, property settlement, post judgment modifications, and other family law matters. Since 1988, ADAM has been aggressive, diligent, and uncompromising when representing their clients. A team of compassionate and skilled family law attorneys, ADAM is dedicated to being Michigan’s leading divorce attorneys for men and practices a policy of integrity in all dealings.