Hiring a Child Custody Lawyer in Michigan
How courts in Michigan decide custody, emergency custody, parenting classes, how to check a lawyer's license, and free or low-cost family law help. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
What a lawyer costs in Michigan: fee rules
| Rules on contingency fees | A contingent fee is allowed except where Rule 1.5(d) or other law prohibits it. The agreement must be in writing and state how the fee will be determined; at the end, the lawyer must give a written statement of the outcome and, if there is a recovery, the client's share and how it was figured. Michigan Court Rule 8.121 adds requirements for some contingent fee agreements. Lawyers may not charge a criminal defendant a contingent fee, or charge a domestic relations fee contingent on securing a divorce or on the amount of alimony, support or property settlement, or based on the lawyer's success, results obtained, value added or any factor that leaves the client unable to discern how the fee is determined. |
|---|---|
| If a lawyer takes your money | The State Bar of Michigan Client Protection Fund reimburses clients harmed by a lawyer's dishonest conduct, such as theft or embezzlement of estate, trust or settlement funds, or failing to return unearned fees; it does not cover malpractice, negligence, fee disputes or consequential damages. Limits: $150,000 per claimant and $375,000 for all claims against one attorney (prorated if exceeded). File within two years after the loss or six months after discovery, whichever is later (or within one year after a discipline determination or the lawyer's death). A Request for Investigation with the Attorney Grievance Commission is part of the application. There is no filing fee; a lawyer who helps may charge no more than $250 unless the State Bar authorizes more. Contact: cpf@michbar.org, (517) 346-6354. Fund home: https://www.michbar.org/client/protectionfund |
Michigan rules to know first
| How custody is decided | Custody is decided by the best interests of the child, which is the sum of these statutory factors: emotional ties; each party's capacity to give love, guidance and education and to provide food, clothing, medical care and other needs; how long the child has lived in a stable home and the value of continuity; the permanence of the custodial home; moral fitness; mental and physical health; the child's home, school and community record; the child's reasonable preference, if the court considers the child old enough to express one; each party's willingness to encourage a close relationship with the other parent; domestic violence; and any other relevant factor. Parents must be told about joint custody, and the court must consider it if either parent asks. If parents agree on joint custody, the court must award it unless clear and convincing evidence shows it is not in the child's best interests. No specific age is set for the child's preference. Joint custody: https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-722-26a Source: MCL 722.23; MCL 722.26a |
|---|---|
| Emergency custody | Before a temporary order is entered, the court can issue an ex parte order (without first hearing the other side) if specific facts in an affidavit or verified pleading show that irreparable injury, loss or damage will result from the delay needed to give notice, or that notice itself will cause harmful action. A request for ex parte custody or parenting time must describe the child's established custodial environment and show either that the order will not change it or that clear and convincing evidence shows a change is in the child's best interest. If the order could change the established custodial environment, the court must schedule an evidentiary hearing within 21 days. The person who got the order must serve it within 3 days, and the other party has 14 days after service to file a written objection or a motion to modify or rescind it; otherwise it becomes a temporary order. |
| Grandparents' rights | A grandparent may ask for a grandparenting time order in specific situations, including when a divorce, separate maintenance or annulment between the parents is pending or has been granted; when the grandparent's child (the child's parent) has died; when the parents never married, do not live together, and paternity has been legally established; when someone other than a parent has legal custody or the child lives outside a parent's home; or when the grandparent provided an established custodial environment in the past year. The grandparent files a motion or complaint with an affidavit, and the parents may file opposing affidavits. Source: MCL 722.27b |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The State Bar of Michigan Lawyer Referral Service matches people who can afford to hire a lawyer with a participating panel lawyer; a referral assistant matches you by type of matter and area. Per the program rules (May 2023), the service "charges a $25 administrative fee" and the panelist "will provide up to a 25-minute initial consultation free of charge"; the fee is waived for residential tenants, Social Security claimants, workers' compensation claimants and personal injury plaintiffs. Hours: 8:30 a.m.-4:45 p.m., Monday-Friday. A Modest Means Program connects moderate-income people with attorneys offering reduced-cost help. Program rules: https://www.michbar.org/file/lrs/lrs-programrules.pdf |
|---|---|
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | Complaints (Requests for Investigation) about Michigan lawyers go to the Attorney Grievance Commission. Anyone may file, using the AGC form or a signed letter describing the misconduct with approximate time and place and any documents (unbound, unstapled). Requests are not accepted electronically or by fax; mail them to the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission, 755 W. Big Beaver Rd., Suite 2100, Troy, MI 48084. Intake decides whether the lawyer must respond or dismisses (you may ask for reconsideration); after investigation the Commission may close the file, issue a consensual admonition, place the lawyer on contractual probation, or authorize formal charges before the Attorney Discipline Board, and notifies the parties in writing. A lawyer's public disciplinary record can be requested from the Commission. Phone: 313-961-6585. |
Free legal help
| Free legal aid | Michigan's LSC-funded legal aid organizations give free civil legal help to eligible low-income people: Lakeshore Legal Aid, Legal Aid of Western Michigan, Legal Services of Eastern Michigan, Legal Services of Northern Michigan, Michigan Advocacy Program and Michigan Indian Legal Services. |
|---|
Last verified against official sources: October 27, 2026.
How we source this page: each state-specific rule links to the statute, court rule or official government page it comes from. A rule taken from a public copy of a state code (used only where the official code is not freely readable online) is marked as a secondary source. Spot an error? Use the contact page to report it. About our sources
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.