Sterling Law Office attorneys can assist you to navigate issues of parenting time. We are dedicated to helping clients understand the legal aspects of parenting time. We educate clients on their rights and options to help them make informed decisions about their cases. Our attorneys are experienced in family court and aggressively pursue a resolution that best suits your specific situation and the well-being of your children.  Here are some of our philosophies regarding parenting time:

• At the beginning of a divorce or upon the separation of unmarried parents, temporary parenting time should be established right away. This gives the children structured access to both parents.

• Unless safety or false allegations of abuse are a risk, we advise parents to not move out of the shared home without the children as doing so impacts the access of the children to both parents.

• The quality of parent-child relationships is related to how much time they spend together. 

• Parenting time that is not limited mainly to weekends or to other short periods of time is correlated with positive outcomes for children.

• Shared parenting time plans can be successful and provide stability for children not only when initially agree to by the parents, but also by compromises through mediation, negotiation, and litigation.

• Shared parenting time plans are more likely to last and therefore more likely to provide stability for children.

• Verbal conflict in the initial periods of parenting time plan negotiations is not a reliable indicator of continued conflict.

• Verbal conflict is associated with fewer negative outcomes for children than having too little parenting time with each parent.

• Conflict is lower in families where parenting time is shared.

• The vast majority of children want to spend time with both parents and dislike it when time with one parent is limited.

• Infants and toddlers benefit from overnight parenting time with both parents.  Overnighting with both parents has a positive impact on infants and preschoolers.

• An infant’s relationship with each parent is vital, one no more vital than the other.

Call Sterling Law Office at 231-486-0559 for a free parenting time phone consult.  We follow up phone consults with a Case Evaluation.

At a Case Evaluation, we meet with you in person (or by video conference if you are unable to come to one of our offices).  After an intake interview, we hear about your parenting time issues and your goals.  We help you understand your legal rights.  After we help you sort it all out, we create for you a Plan of Action identifying your Next Steps to reach your goals.  We charge a flat fee of $100.00 for the Case Evaluation. Most people find that the Case Evaluation is extremely helpful to understanding their parenting time issues and knowing what to do next. 

After a case evaluation, if the plan of action calls for attorney involvement, you may want to hire our firm to represent you.  If so, you can expect to then sign a contract and pay a deposit on your future legal expenses.