Parenting your child mindfully during and post-divorce

On behalf of Bebout, Potere, Cox & Bennion, P.C. posted in child custody on Monday, October 10, 2016. The concept of mindfulness has recently become a mainstream popular culture reference. Authors, television characters and even musicians speak frequently about mindfulness in regards to eating, exercising, everyday living and love. Some of these references to mindfulness …

Michigan’s child support formula considers both parents’ income

On behalf of Bebout, Potere, Cox & Bennion, P.C. posted in child custodyon Monday, October 10, 2016. Divorce courts in Michigan apply an income shares model to calculate each parent’s child support obligations. That means that courts consider the income of both parents, instead of only the custodial parent’s. Officially called the Michigan Child Support Formula, the calculation considers …

Must you be the primary caregiver to have joint legal custody?

On behalf of Bebout, Potere, Cox & Bennion, P.C. posted in child custodyon Monday, November 7, 2016. Family law courts recognize the important contributions provided by each parent in a child’s life. For that reason, many courts may presume that divorcing parents will have joint legal custody. Under that approach, decisions involving big events or issues in a …

Creating a co-parenting plan for divorced couples

On behalf of Bebout, Potere, Cox & Bennion, P.C. posted in child custody on Friday, November 25, 2016. Divorce can be a stressful process even for couples who want to maintain a modicum of good will. In particular, the children of a marriage in the process of ending often struggle with natural feelings of anxiety …

Can children testify in a child custody dispute?

On behalf of Bebout, Potere, Cox & Bennion, P.C. posted in child custody on Monday, February 6, 2017. When divorcing parents cannot agree on a child custody arrangement, they may be forced to have the court issue a custody decision. The court will apply the best interest of the child standard, informed by many factors. …

Must all child custody agreements be created by a judge?

On behalf of Bebout, Potere, Cox & Bennion, P.C. posted in child custody on Thursday, February 16, 2017. If you are a parent about to go through a divorce, the wellbeing of your children is likely your biggest source of stress and worry. Not only can divorce be hard on children; there is also the …

What factors will a court use to resolve child custody disputes?

On behalf of Bebout, Potere, Cox & Bennion, P.C. posted in child custody on Monday, March 13, 2017. When parents turn to the court to resolve child custody and/or parenting time disputes, it is important to understand the factors that a judge will examine. Under the Michigan Child Custody Act, there are 12 enumerated factors …

Could a child custody dispute put you in contempt of court?

On behalf of Bebout, Potere, Cox & Bennion, P.C. posted in child custody on Monday, April 3, 2017. Family law courts in Michigan generally endeavor to be impartial when presiding over child custody disputes. Gone are the days when a mother was afforded a presumption of sole legal and/or physical custody. Yet one local judge …

How important is a child’s preferences in custody determinations?

On behalf of Bebout, Potere, Cox & Bennion, P.C. posted in child custody on Thursday, April 13, 2017. In our last post, we examined the controversial actions of a Michigan judge who wanted to offer each party an opportunity to present their child custody proposals. In that case, the three minor children apparently favored legal …

Are immigration policies creating new child custody concerns?

On behalf of Bebout, Potere, Cox & Bennion, P.C. posted in child custody on Monday, April 17, 2017. Legal custody issues often arise in the context of a divorce, but the changing legal landscape of immigration laws has produced a new concern. In a recent example, an undocumented immigrant went to court to obtain legal …