Co-parenting in Michigan, without the 10 p.m. scramble
The school email. The $120 receipt. The pickup you have to confirm again. Hand Civly any of it as it arrived and it lands on one calendar both houses read — and if you ever need the record for Circuit Court (Family Division), where MI custody matters are heard, it's already there. You won't be building it at 10 p.m.
Set up your side tonight · Cancel anytime · 30-day refund by email
Circuit Court (Family Division)
handles custody in MI
Mich. Comp. Laws § 722.23
custody statute
Michigan custody law
Michigan courts apply the best interests of the child factors and encourage joint custody when parents can cooperate effectively.
What Michigan courts consider in custody decisions
Michigan's Child Custody Act defines 12 best interest factors: the love and emotional ties between parent and child, each parent's capacity to provide love, guidance, and continuity of education, the permanence of the existing or proposed custodial home, the moral fitness of the parties, the mental and physical health of the parties, the reasonable preference of the child, the willingness of each parent to facilitate a close relationship with the other parent, domestic violence, and any other relevant factor.
How the custody process works in Michigan
Michigan custody matters are handled in the Family Division of Circuit Court. The Friend of the Court (FOC) — a unique Michigan institution — investigates custody disputes and makes recommendations to the judge. The FOC conducts interviews, home visits, and reviews records before issuing a written recommendation. Parents can object to the FOC recommendation and request a de novo hearing before the judge.
Key Michigan custody statutes
- Mich. Comp. Laws § 722.23
- Mich. Comp. Laws § 722.26a
- Mich. Comp. Laws § 722.27
- Mich. Comp. Laws § 722.31
- Mich. Comp. Laws § 552.505
How Civly helps Michigan parents
One week, both houses, one version
Paste the school email or a calendar link and the events build themselves. Color-coded custody schedule from your own parenting plan. Share a read-only link with grandparents, attorneys, or mediators.
Say it how it comes out. Send the calm version.
Type or speak what you really feel — Civly writes the calm version — the one you would not cringe at if it were read back later. Your vent stays private and never enters an export. What you send is what gets kept.
Snap the receipt, skip the math
Snap a receipt or forward an email. AI extracts the amount. Your co-parent approves or disputes. Everything documented, timestamped, and exportable for your attorney.
Records your attorney can work with
Every message is timestamped, and exports as a certified PDF with a SHA-256 hash and a code anyone can check at civly.com/verify. How to present it in Michigan's Circuit Court (Family Division) system is your attorney's call, and whether a record is admitted is always the court's decision.
Pricing comparison
Civly
$79/year
or $7.99/month
- AI message rewriting
- Custody calendar
- Expense tracking
- Timestamped PDF exports
- Certified exports with verification codes
OurFamilyWizard Essentials
$149.99/year
Their cheapest tier that includes Writing Assistant. Cheaper OFW tiers exist without it. Per parent, list price August 2026.
Frequently asked questions
You don't need their agreement to start
Set up the calendar, log what's owed, draft the message you have to send tonight. Invite them when you're ready — the shared parts switch on the day they join.
Start tonight — $79/year30-day money-back guarantee. Available in every state.
Civly is not a law firm and this page is not legal advice. Custody law and the rules of evidence vary from state to state, and individual judges apply them differently. For advice about your own case, speak to a family law attorney licensed in Michigan. Civly launched in 2026 and is not named in many court orders yet — if your order already requires a specific platform, keep using it and ask your attorney before switching.