Lansing Child Custody Lawyer

Nothing in a family case matters more than your children. Whether custody comes up inside a divorce or between parents who were never married, Michigan courts decide it the same way: by examining what arrangement serves the best interests of the child. Knowing how that standard works — and preparing for it deliberately — is most of the battle.

The Two Kinds of Custody in Michigan

• Legal custody is decision-making power: school, medical care, religion, and the other major choices in a child’s life. Courts commonly award joint legal custody so both parents stay involved in big decisions.
• Physical custody is where the child lives day-to-day. It can be primarily with one parent or shared, and it works together with the parenting-time schedule.

The Twelve Best-Interest Factors (MCL 722.23)

Michigan law lists twelve factors a judge must consider, evaluate, and weigh. In plain terms, they cover:

• The emotional ties between each parent and the child
• Each parent’s capacity to give love, affection, and guidance, and to continue the child’s education and upbringing
• Each parent’s ability to provide food, clothing, and medical care
• How long the child has lived in a stable environment and the value of keeping that continuity
• The permanence of each proposed home as a family unit
• The moral fitness of each parent
• Each parent’s mental and physical health
• The child’s home, school, and community record
• The reasonable preference of the child, if the court considers the child old enough to express one
• Each parent’s willingness to encourage a close relationship between the child and the other parent
• Domestic violence, whether or not the child saw it happen
• Any other factor the court finds relevant

No single factor controls. A strong custody case is built by showing the judge — with specifics, not adjectives — how your involvement in your child’s life maps onto these factors.

Parenting Time

Michigan law starts from the premise that a strong relationship with both parents serves a child’s best interests, and parenting time is ordered accordingly (MCL 722.27a). Schedules can range from alternating weeks to school-year/summer splits to supervised parenting time where safety is a concern. The right schedule depends on ages, school, work shifts, and distance — and it should be written precisely enough to prevent weekly arguments.

How Custody Cases Work in Ingham County

• Friend of the Court. In contested cases, the Friend of the Court office investigates and makes recommendations on custody, parenting time, and support, and helps enforce orders afterward.
• Established custodial environment. Once a child has a settled custodial environment, courts apply a demanding burden of proof before changing it. Timing matters — get advice before the status quo hardens against you.
• Modifications. A parent asking to change an existing order must first show proper cause or a meaningful change in circumstances. Routine friction between parents is rarely enough; documented, substantial changes are.

Why Families Choose Baldori Law

We have secured favorable custody and parenting-time orders for parents across mid-Michigan by preparing factor-by-factor and keeping the focus where the law puts it: on the child. Custody rarely travels alone — it intersects with divorce and child support, and our family law practice handles all of it under one roof.

If you are facing a custody dispute in Lansing, East Lansing, Okemos, or anywhere in Ingham County, contact Baldori Law for a consultation before you make your next move.