School Choice

A child’s education is important to most parents. Parents will buy a house in a specific neighborhood to get the best school district possible. Some parents will pay a lot of money to enroll their children in a private school. Parents visit the school, meet with teachers and administrators to make sure that they make the right choice for their children.

The situation becomes much more difficult when parents are divorced or separated.  If parents are awarded joint legal custody, they must decide school enrollment together.  So what can a parent do if they cannot agree on the choice of school in Michigan? What can a parent do if the other parent unilaterally takes the child out of school and enrolls them in another school?

How to Get an Order for School Enrollment in Michigan 

If parents cannot agree on school enrollment, the judge will decide. Such a hearing is commonly called a Lombardo hearing. During a Lombardo hearing, the court will hear testimony regarding the best interest of the child factors. Although the judge is not required to examine every best interest factor when deciding a choice of school case, a Lombardo hearing appears very similar to a custody trial. In fact, if the school choice would result in a change of custody, then every best interest factor will be examined.

When faced with a Lombardo hearing, preparation is key. The family attorneys at Kraayeveld Law research the school choices, including standardized test scores, teacher-parent ratios, resources, and access to extracurricular activities in addition to all other social aspects of the school. Our experience is invaluable. We explore additional factors such as transportation to and from school, afterschool resources, friends in the neighborhood, and a host of other issues, all of which can be very important to the child.

Schedule a Lombardo Hearing with an Experienced Grand Rapids Family Lawyer 

If you believe the other parent may want to move your child to another school, contact the Kraayeveld Law team as soon as possible. Our team can assist you with obtaining appropriate orders to keep your child in the same school district. It is worth mentioning that Tjudge’s schedule is often very busy, and it may take some time to get a hearing date. Judges are often hesitant to move a child while school is in session.

Contact the experienced Kraayeveld Law team to assist you with your Lombardo hearing needs by calling 616-285-0808 or completing our contact form.