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Michigan Families Deserve Better
Shared Parenting: Benefits, Risks, and Consequences
Benefits of Shared Parenting
- Better emotional stability
- Better school performance
- Lower substance abuse
- Lower teen pregnancy
- Stronger relationships with both parents
- Stronger connection to extended family (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins)
- Lower behavioral problems
- Lower risk of youth suicide
- Lower incarceration rates
- Children overwhelmingly prefer equal time with both parents
Risks and Consequences of Unequal Parenting Time
- Higher conflict between parents
- Increased alienation
- Loss of extended family relationships
- Higher instability in the child’s life
- Greater financial strain on the minimized parent
- Higher risk of manipulation or control
- Increased court involvement
- Higher likelihood of long-term emotional and behavioral issues
Michigan-Specific Consequences
• Michigan’s child support formula financially rewards unequal parenting time
• Temporary orders create long-term custody imbalance
• No-fault divorce punishes the parent who did not choose to leave the marriage
• The system incentivizes conflict, not cooperation
• Parents who leave first often gain immediate custody and financial advantage
• Children lose access to half their family when one parent is minimized
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