Will I have the right to make major decisions for my child post-divorce?
A Michigan divorce case has garnered national attention for its focus on the issue of vaccines, and now a second child custody case involving vaccines will continue to keep the matter in the spotlight. Rebecca Bredow is the mother of a nine-year-old boy. She objects to vaccines on religious grounds. The boy’s father, however, wants the boy vaccinated. A Michigan judge ordered Bredow to vaccinate her son, but she refused and was placed in jail for five days. The boy’s father had his son vaccinated when he had custody of the child. Now, the judge has issued a 50/50 physical custody ruling over the objections of the boy’s mother.
In the same court, Lori Matheson from Walled Lake, who shares custody with her ex-husband, is objecting to vaccinating her two-year-old daughter based on religious and medical grounds. Like Bredow’s case, Matheson’s ex-husband wants the child vaccinated. The parents will soon go before the judge to present expert testimony focusing on the safety of vaccines.
Legal Custody in Michigan
As parents, you will constantly need to make vital life decisions for your child. From medical matters to education and religion, your decisions will mold your child’s future. Legal custody refers to the right to make important decisions for your child. These decisions could include where he or she will go to school, what religion he or she will be raised with, and whether your child will be vaccinated. Under Michigan law, legal custody can be distinguished from physical custody, which means who the child lives with. At times, the court will grant joint legal and physical custody. Other times, the court could provide one parent with legal custody and split joint physical custody.
Custody is often a crucial concern for divorcing parents. While some parents will be able and willing to work together to continue to make vital life decisions for their child, other situations require court intervention. Anyone considering divorce should contact a family law attorney as soon as possible for assistance with your potential child custody matter.
