Thousands of parents across Michigan have custody and visitation orders with which they must comply. These orders dictate what a parent can and cannot do, where a child lives and what the parenting time schedule looks like.
It is crucial that parents comply with these orders, though there are parents who do not. These parents put themselves at risk of severe penalties and their relationship with their child in jeopardy. As such, parents should make every effort to avoid the below custody order violations.
Eight serious violations of a custody order
- Refusing to return a child to the other parent
- Consistently failing or refusing to pick up the child at the appropriate time or place
- Taking a child out of the state or country without permission
- Preventing the other parent from seeing a child because of unpaid child support
- Exposing the child to people or situations prohibited by the custody order
- Attempting to turn a child against the other parent through manipulation
- Making medical, educational or religious decisions for a child without having legal custody
- Preventing a child from communicating with the other parent
This list of possible custody violations is by no means exhaustive, though they are among the more common examples.
Possible consequences of a custody violation
Any parent who violates a custody or visitation order can face serious penalties, as violations can put a child in danger or rob the other parent of his or her rights. To enforce a custody order, Michigan courts may:
- Award make-up parenting time to the non-violating party
- Modify the custody order
- File contempt of court charges against the parent violating the order
- Order supervised visitation
- Require a parent to attend parenting classes or counseling
- Terminate or restrict parental rights
The specific action courts may take depend on the details and degree of the violation.
To protect your rights, your child and your relationship with your child, you must comply with a valid custody and visitation order. If you have concerns about compliance, you can discuss your case with an attorney.
