Deciding how your child’s time is going to be divided between two households can be difficult to do during a divorce which is why most parents either have the court establish a shared parenting schedule or have their divorce attorneys help establish a fair schedule that both parents can agree to and are content with. Now, parenting schedules do range in how they are structured simply because every family dynamic is different from one another and everyone’s circumstances vary. Some parents are awarding with more custody time than others and one parent may be given the authority to make all the decisions that affect their child’s wellbeing.

The court may even decide that one parent should be granted with Reasonable Rights of Parenting Time. Now, if you recently had a custody order established in Lansing, MI or another city within Ingham County and it stipulates that you have been granted with Reasonable Rights, you may be wondering what type of schedule you are expected to follow. That is why we have taken the time to outline below how the Ingham County Friend of the Court defines its Reasonable Rights of Parenting Time policy so that you are familiar with it and understand what your rights are as a parent.

A parent who has been awarded Reasonable Rights of Parenting Time is entitled to spend the following days with their child:

• Alternate weekends. A parent is entitled to have their children on alternate weekends and their time starts on Friday at 6:00 p.m. and ends on Sunday evening at 6:00 p.m.

• Weekday parenting time. A parent is entitled to spend time with their child one evening per week from 6:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. This day of the week can be determined by the parties involved, however, if they are unable to agree on one day, the Friend of the Court says that it will be on Wednesday.

In terms of holidays, which can be a stressful time for any divorced couple with kids, the court has already established how these will be spent with both the child’s mother and father. For example, for any year that ends in an even number, this is how the schedule would look:

• Memorial Day weekend-Father
• Fourth of July- Mother
• Labor Day weekend- Father
• Halloween-Mother
• Child’s Birthday-Father
• Thanksgiving- Mother
• Spring Break- Father
• Easter- Father

Any year that ends with an odd number would simply be the opposite party. And if you’re wondering what would happen if a holiday you were entitled to spend with your child happened to fall on a day where the child is supposed to be with their other parent, the court states that “holiday and school break parenting time shall take precedence over regularly scheduled parenting time and may result in one parent having two or more weekends in a row.”

Now, if you are looking to obtain more information on the Reasonable Rights of Parenting Time policy or you have another child custody question, you can always contact Lansing, MI child custody attorney Stuart R. Shafer. Our firm would be more than happy to sit down with you and address any concerns you might have. In the event you are unhappy with the current custody order that has been established, we can help you file the necessary paperwork with the court to get it modified. If you would like to speak with attorney Stuart R. Shafer now, call us at 517-487-6603 to schedule an initial consultation.

You can reach the Law Offices of Stuart R. Shafer, P.C. at:

1223 Turner Street, #333

Lansing, MI 48906

517-487-6603

Website: www.stushafer.com