Grandparents’ Rights Attorney in Clinton Township

25 Years Helping Macomb County Grandparents Fight for Their Grandchildren

When a grandparent’s relationship with a grandchild is at risk, it’s almost always tied to a larger family event: a divorce, a custody dispute, a parent’s death, or an adoption. At Ziulkowski & Associates, PLC, we assist grandparents in seeking court-ordered visitation or custody under Michigan law. Because we handle the full range of family law matters in-house, the same team reviewing your file each morning is already equipped to address the underlying circumstances that determine whether you have standing to file.

We’ve served clients in Clinton Township and throughout Macomb, Oakland, and St. Clair Counties for over 25 years. That local experience shapes how we approach these cases in Michigan courts.

Who Can File for Grandparenting Time in Michigan

Michigan law governs grandparents’ rights primarily through MCL 722.27b, which controls when a grandparent may petition the court for grandparenting time. The statute sets specific circumstances that must exist before a court can consider a petition.

Under MCL 722.27b, a grandparent may file only if one of the following applies:

• A divorce, separation, or annulment action involving the child’s parents is pending or has been finalized
• The grandparent’s own child, who is the child’s parent, has died
• The child’s parents were never married, aren’t residing in the same household, and paternity has been legally established
• A third party has legal custody of the child, or the child is placed outside of and doesn’t live with either parent
• The grandparent provided the child’s custodial environment for at least one year before filing

If both of a child’s fit parents sign an affidavit objecting to a grandparenting time order, Michigan law provides that the court must dismiss the petition. There is a narrow exception: when a stepparent has adopted the child and the grandparent is the parent of a deceased or rights-terminated biological parent, the right to seek grandparenting time may still exist.

Because standing depends so heavily on these threshold circumstances, knowing which apply to your situation is the first step. Our team reviews each grandparent’s case in that context from the start.

What a Grandparent Must Prove to Receive Visitation

Meeting a qualifying circumstance opens the door to file. It doesn’t win the case. Michigan law presumes that when a fit parent denies grandparenting time, that decision doesn’t create a substantial risk of harm to the child. The grandparent must rebut that presumption by a preponderance of the evidence, meaning more likely than not.

Courts weigh best-interest-of-the-child factors to make that determination, including:

• The nature of the relationship: The emotional ties between grandparent and grandchild and the history of contact between them
• Moral fitness and health: The grandparent’s overall fitness and ability to provide a safe environment
• The child’s preference: What the child wants, if old enough to express a meaningful view
• Effect on family relationships: Whether grandparenting time would damage the child’s relationship with a parent due to existing hostility
• Willingness to support the parent-child bond: Whether the grandparent encourages the child’s relationship with both parents
• Any history of abuse: Documented harm or neglect involving the grandparent

Our daily case review structure means we’re building your factual record continuously, not just before a hearing. Every attorney stays current on your file so the strategy stays consistent throughout.

Start with a Free Consultation

Grandparenting time cases involve overlapping legal questions that shift quickly depending on what’s happening in the broader family matter. We offer a free initial consultation so you can discuss your circumstances, understand the relevant legal standards, and ask questions before committing to any course of action. Our website also includes a client questionnaire you can complete ahead of the first meeting so we arrive prepared.

Contact Ziulkowski & Associates, PLC at (586) 600-7623 to schedule your free consultation. No obligation, no pressure.