WomensLaw serves and supports all survivors, no matter their sex or gender.

Legal Information: Michigan

Custody

Laws current as of March 27, 2024

What is mediation?

Mediation is a process by which parents attempt to reach an agreement relating to custody and visitation of their child with the help of a neutral third party, known as a mediator. There are four types of mediation in Michigan.1 The Michigan Custody Guideline includes a description of each one, including which type of mediation:

  • can be ordered by the judge or requested by the parents;
  • has to be paid by the parents and which one is free;2
  • allows for the shared information to be kept confidential;
  • allows the parents to request reports from the mediator at the end of a mediation where no agreement is reached.1

It’s important to know that the mediator often guides the discussion process between the parents and tries to come to a compromise that both parents are happy with. However, the mediator cannot force you to agree to something that you don’t want.

1 See the Michigan Custody Guideline
2 Michigan: A Guide to Custody, Parenting Time and Support

Legal Information

© 2008–2024 WomensLaw.org is a project of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, Inc. All rights reserved. This website is funded in part through a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Neither the U.S. Department of Justice nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse, this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). NNEDV is a 501©(3) non-profit organization; EIN 52-1973408.