We, the undersigned Michigan residents, parents, grandparents, and concerned citizens, urgently call upon the Michigan Legislature to pass Senate Bills 940, 941, and 942 without delay. These bills would finally establish a rebuttable presumption of equal (approximately 50/50) parenting time in child custody cases, ensuring that fit parents share equally in raising their children unless clear and convincing evidence proves otherwise.

Every Michigan child deserves the love, stability, and daily involvement of both parents. Yet under current law, courts decide custody based solely on the vague “best interests of the child” standard with no default to equal time. This outdated, one-size-fits-all approach too often sidelines one capable, loving parent—usually the father—turning them into a weekend visitor while the other parent shoulders the full burden. The result? Children suffer weakened emotional bonds, lower self-esteem, poorer academic performance, and higher risks of anxiety, depression, and behavioral issues. Families endure prolonged, expensive courtroom battles that drain resources better spent on the children themselves.

Decades of rigorous scientific research prove what common sense and countless Michigan families already know: children thrive when they maintain strong, meaningful relationships with both fit parents. A landmark 2023 analysis of existing research found that kids in shared parenting arrangements do equally well as children in intact nuclear families across academic, cognitive, emotional, psychological, and behavioral outcomes. Multiple meta-analyses of dozens of studies—including Bauserman’s comprehensive 2002 review and Baude et al.’s 2016 update—confirm children in joint physical custody show significantly better adjustment, higher self-esteem, stronger parent-child bonds, and improved school performance than those in sole-custody arrangements. Outcomes improve the closer the schedule gets to true 50/50. Even in moderate-conflict situations, shared parenting often shields children from the worst effects by reducing single-parent stress and preventing parental alienation.

Senate Bills 940-942 put children first by making equal parenting time the fair starting point, while still allowing courts to protect kids in cases of abuse, neglect, or unfitness through the “clear and convincing evidence” safeguard. This common-sense reform will reduce costly litigation, promote parental cooperation, strengthen families across our state, and align Michigan law with what the evidence overwhelmingly shows works best for children.

We demand the Michigan Senate Judiciary Committee and the full Legislature act immediately to pass Senate Bills 940, 941, and 942. Our children’s futures—and the strength of every Michigan family—depend on it.