Parenting Time

Parenting time is generally granted to the non-custodial parent. Circuit Court maintains
jurisdiction over parenting time issues and may consider the following factors, pursuant to MCL 722.27(a), Sub(d)(6):

1. The existence of any special circumstances or needs of the child.

2. Whether the child is a nursing child less than six (6) months of age, or less than one (1)
year of age if the child receives substantial nutrition through nursing.

3. The reasonable likelihood of abuse or neglect of the child during parenting time.

4. The reasonable likelihood of abuse of a parent resulting from the exercise of parenting
time.

5. The inconvenience to, and burdensome impact or effect on, the child of traveling for
purposes of parenting time.

6. Whether a parent can reasonably be expected to exercise parenting time in accordance with the Court order.

7. Whether a parent has frequently failed to exercise reasonable parenting time.

8. The threatened or actual detention of the child with the intent to retain or conceal the
child from the other parent or from a third (3rd) person who has legal custody. A
custodial parent’s temporary residence with a child in a domestic violence shelter shall
not be construed as evidence of the custodial parents intent to retain or conceal the child
from the other parent.

9. Any other relevant factors.

The Judgment may state that general visitations are granted and leave it up to the parties
to decide the dates; or, specific visitation hours and dates may be written into the Judgment. If long distances must be traveled to exercise this visitation, some arrangements can be made concerning the cost of same.

Pursuant to MCL 722.31(4), the Court must consider certain statutory factors before
permitting a change of the minor children’s legal residence. The Court must primarily focus on the following factors:

A. Whether legal residence change has the capacity to improve the quality of the life for
both the children and the relocating parent;

B. The degree to which each parent has complied with his or her time under a Court order
governing parenting time with the children and whether the parents plan to change the
children’s legal residence is inspired by that parent’s desire to defeat or frustrate the
parenting time schedule;

C. The degree to which the Court is satisfied that if the Court permits the legal residence
change, it is possible to order a modification of the parenting time schedule and other
arrangements governing the children’s schedule in a manner that can provide an adequate basis for preserving and fostering a parental relationship between the child and each
parent and whether each parent is likely to comply with the modification;

D. The extent to which the parent proposing the legal residence change is motivated by a
desire to secure a financial advantage with respect to a support obligation; and

E. Domestic violence, regardless of whether the violence is directed against or witnessed by the children.

 

Grand Traverse County Parenting Time Schedule