Livonia Family Legal Blog

The thought of not being able to spend a single day with one's child could elicit a strong, defensive reaction from a parent. Nevertheless, that's a reality divorcing parents may have to face. In fact, some parents might have to spend more than a week between visits with his or her children.

Because of the strong emotional ties parents have with their children, a child custody dispute can turn contentious in a heartbeat -- and this is where mediation can help. Through the use of a skilled child custody mediator, parents have a better chance of resolving important issues quickly, peacefully and cost-effectively.

It is rarely easy to transition from raising your child with their other parent to raising the child separately and sharing custody time. Parents who want the best for their child may still treat the other parent unfairly, either out of ignorance or plain resentment. While this type of bad behavior may seem understandable, it is still unacceptable, especially if the behavior of one parent takes away from the court ordered time that the other parent spends with their child or undermines the parent-child relationship.

When one parent's actions obstruct the other parent's relationship with their child, it is usually parenting time interference. Courts take this matter very seriously, especially if it violates the parenting agreement and custody order that the court approved.

Divorce mediation is, in many ways, a kinder, gentler way to divorce. Mediation is much more cost-effective and efficient than a trial, and it fosters statistically better outcomes full of self-satisfaction and personal ownership.

There are actually several different types of mediation, though, and picking the right one for your particular situation might impact the outcome of your divorce.

Recently, the Department of Transportation held a teleconference to discuss the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System data. The big news that came out of it is that roadway fatalities went down by nearly 2 percent between 2016 and 2017. This is a result of many dangerous road behaviors such as speeding, lacking a seat belt or not watching out for motorcycles having an overall decrease in deaths.

While that does mean some efforts to increase motor vehicle safety are working, not all areas have improved. With how important the auto industry is in Michigan, drivers should know which accidents worsened last year so they can reduce the risks in the upcoming years.