In two recent decisions by the Michigan Court of Appeals, the trial court’s findings of continued troublemaking by one parent led to changes and restrictions on that parent’s custodial and parenting rights.
Roodvoets v. Royce: The trial court changed custody to sole legal custody in favor of the father and modified the mother’s parenting time to supervised parenting time. The court found proper cause for these changes when the alleged problems continued to occur and created ongoing stress for the child and affected her overall emotional well-being.
Lundquist v. Lundquist: The trial court changed custody to sole legal and physical custody in favor of the father. The court found proper cause for these changes when the impact on a joint custody arrangement was not fully apparent until after the arrangement was implemented. The judge frowned on the mother’s history of hostility and lack of cooperation, her interference with the children’s involvement in extracurricular activities, her arguments with the father in the their presence, and her encouragement to view their father as an abuser.