Child custody is an important and emotionally charged issue. In Shelby Township, Michigan, custody law and decisions are designed to protect a child’s best interests. Courts divide custody into two categories: legal custody, which concerns decision-making authority, and physical custody, which relates to where the child lives. Michigan allows the court to award joint or sole custody, depending on the circumstances.
Judges rely on specific factors when determining custody arrangements. These include the emotional ties between a child and their parents, how stable each home environment is, and a child’s educational and community connections. Custody cases in Shelby Township follow these same legal guidelines but can vary in outcome depending on the facts of each case.
Eisenberg & Spilman, PLLC, brings a practical, strategic approach to custody matters. Our experienced attorneys help clients through the family law process with compassion and proactive guidance. When you’re ready to resolve custody issues, contact us to discuss your case with a compassionate child custody attorney serving Shelby Township.
Michigan law recognizes two forms of custody: legal and physical. Legal custody is a parent’s authority to make major decisions about the child’s welfare, education, medical care, and religious upbringing. Physical custody refers to where the child lives on a day-to-day basis and which parent provides direct care.
Courts may award joint or sole custody in either category. With joint legal custody, both parents share decision-making responsibilities. Sole legal custody gives that authority to one parent alone. Similarly, joint physical custody allows the child to spend significant time with both parents. Sole physical custody places the child primarily with one parent, often with scheduled parenting time or visitation for the other.
Parenting time arrangements are designed to ensure the child maintains a good relationship with both parents when appropriate. In Shelby Township and throughout Macomb County, courts commonly encourage shared parenting time when it supports the child’s well-being. Eisenberg & Spilman, PLLC works with clients to develop custody plans that reflect each child’s needs and the realities of daily family life.
Michigan courts decide custody matters based on what serves your child’s best interests.
There are no automatic custody arrangements in Michigan. Judges consider the specific facts in each case and how these factors will affect the child. Shelby Township-area judges often emphasize emotional stability and cooperative parenting. Our firm understands how local courts interpret and apply these standards. We work with each client to craft legal strategies that support your child’s needs and your own goals and interests.
Custody can be established during an initial divorce or paternity proceeding. It can also be changed with a post-judgment modification. During divorce proceedings, judges may enter temporary legal and physical custody orders. Temporary orders can provide structure and stability while the case is pending.
Attorney Laura Eisenberg frequently serves as a court-appointed guardian ad litem in complex cases throughout Macomb County, offering judges detailed, impartial recommendations focused on the child’s needs.
Once a custody order is in place, changes require court approval. Parents who want to modify custody must first show either proper cause or a significant change in circumstances. These circumstances often include:
Because modification cases must meet specific legal thresholds and involve persuasive evidence, strong legal representation makes a significant difference in the outcome. That’s why our attorneys provide strategic, fact-driven advocacy. We work to protect your relationship with your children and your co-parent whenever possible.
If you’re not married to your co-parent, custody is handled differently than in divorce cases. Under Michigan law, the mother has sole legal and physical custody by default until the father legally establishes paternity. Signing the birth certificate alone does not grant custody rights. To receive custody or parenting time, the father must first file a paternity action and then obtain a court order confirming his legal parentage.
Once paternity is established, the court uses the same best interests of the child standard to decide custody and parenting time. Fathers have the right to pursue joint legal and physical custody, and Michigan courts generally support active involvement from both parents as long as it benefits the child. However, these cases can be emotionally charged, especially when there are disputes over past involvement, financial support, or parenting capabilities.
Eisenberg & Spilman, PLLC, approaches custody disputes with sensitivity and strategy. Our firm works collaboratively whenever possible—but if we’re unable to reach an agreement, we’ll advocate assertively for your and your child’s needs.
Custody cases don’t always require a courtroom battle. In many situations, families benefit from alternative dispute resolution methods like mediation and collaborative law. Attorney Laura Eisenberg is a trained mediator. Both attorneys regularly help clients resolve custody issues outside of court, finding solutions that are practical, customized, and child-focused.
Mediation allows parents to work through disputes with guidance from a neutral professional. This often leads to reduced conflict, lower legal costs, and faster outcomes. The process encourages cooperation and helps preserve a working parenting relationship, which is especially valuable when your children are young and you’ll need to coordinate over the long term.
Our firm has extensive experience crafting nuanced custody and parenting time agreements that reflect modern families’ goals and needs. These methods can produce durable, workable solutions that give parents more control over the final outcome.
Eisenberg & Spilman, PLLC offers decades of focused family law experience to clients in Shelby Township and throughout Macomb County. Our firm’s all-female team offers a strategic, empathetic approach grounded in both litigation and mediation. Attorney Amy Spilman concentrates on custody litigation and appellate advocacy, while attorney Laura Eisenberg offers extensive mediation experience, including frequent appointments as a guardian ad litem.
When you work with us, you’ll benefit from our ability to handle emotionally complex and high-conflict cases with compassion and professionalism. We offer transparent and fair billing with a focus on efficient, results-driven representation.
Finally, our firm is well-known in the Macomb County court system. We’ve built a strong reputation across Southeast Michigan, including Shelby Township. Whether you want to resolve disputes collaboratively or in court, we tailor every strategy to your family’s unique needs.
If you’re ready to take the first step toward resolving custody and visitation matters, reach out to Eisenberg & Spilman, PLLC today. One of our custody attorneys serving Shelby Township will answer your questions and explain what we can do on your behalf.