Tools for Grand Rapids Guardians ad Litem, Therapists and Mediators

A co-parenting app and case tools you can recommend to the Grand Rapids families you work with, whether you serve as a guardian ad litem, a therapist, or a mediator. Messaging between co-parents is free for both parents, and every message is time-stamped and tamper-evident.

Custody cases in Grand Rapids move through the 17th Circuit Court, Family Division, and many of the parents in them handle at least part of the case without a lawyer. For guardians ad litem, family therapists, and mediators, that usually means sorting fact from feeling before any real work can start. This page shows what the parents you work with can use on FamilyCourtHelp.com to come to you organized.

Area covered: Kent County.

Court for custody cases: 17th Circuit Court, Family Division (Kent County).

Appointed for the child: Lawyer-guardian ad litem.

Custody mediation: Often ordered by the judge (Friend of the Court domestic relations mediation).

Parenting coordinators: Set by state law or court rule (MCL 722.27c).

State family law: Michigan Compiled Laws Chapter 552 - Divorce.

Co-parent messaging (Free): One time-stamped, tamper-evident thread, free for both parents, with a Tone Meter that offers calmer rewrites.

Invite a professional into the conversation (Free): A parent can add a guardian ad litem or mediator to the co-parent conversation with a single-use link.

Parenting plan, built and shared (Free to build): Parents draft a parenting plan and can share it with you to read and comment on.

Verify a chat export (Free): Check that an exported message record (the JSON file) has not been changed. No account needed.

Court-Grade Journal (Paid plan): A dated, no-delete journal; a parent can send you a packet of chosen entries.

Expense Tracker (Paid plan): Shared child costs with receipts; a parent can give you a view-only look.

Parents can create an account and message their co-parent for free, with no credit card. Building a parenting plan is free; sharing, downloading, and printing it, and the tools marked as a paid plan, are part of a monthly plan a parent can start and stop.

For lawyer-guardians ad litem and guardians ad litem in Grand Rapids

In Michigan, the court can appoint a lawyer-guardian ad litem in a custody case. What the role involves is in the FAQ below.

The parents decide what you see. One of them can add you to the co-parent conversation with a single-use link, and once you accept with a free account you can read the thread, post in it, and follow schedule requests on the shared calendar. A shared parenting plan opens to you for reading and comments.

For therapists and counselors in Grand Rapids

For court-involved therapists, co-parenting counselors, and custody evaluators in Grand Rapids, the site stays on the parents' side of the line: there is no therapist seat and no access to a family's account. What it changes is what walks into the room. Parents write to each other in one time-stamped thread, and the Tone Meter in the free messenger offers a calmer version of a message before it goes out.

For mediators and parenting coordinators in Grand Rapids

In Michigan, custody mediation is often ordered by the judge. Parenting coordinators are set by state law or court rule (MCL 722.27c). The details are in the FAQ below.

A parent can invite you into the co-parent conversation with a single-use link and share the parenting plan for you to read and comment on, so you see the draft and the open issues before the first session in Grand Rapids. Between sessions, agreements stay in writing in the one thread, and schedule changes go through the shared calendar as requests the other parent approves or declines.

Parenting coordinators can be added to a shared plan as a viewer who reads and comments.

Family court programs in Grand Rapids

Custody cases in Grand Rapids are heard in the 17th Circuit Court, Family Division. The court-connected programs below were checked against official sources.

Kent County Friend of the Court: The Kent County Friend of the Court investigates custody and parenting time issues for the court, enforces custody and support orders, and offers confidential, voluntary mediation for custody and parenting time disputes.

If you searched for a lawyer-guardian ad litem, a family therapist, or a custody mediator in Grand Rapids, the court that has your case, the order in it, or your lawyer is the place to find who is appointed or approved. This site does not appoint professionals or refer you to one. What you can do here is come prepared: keep every message with your co-parent in one time-stamped thread, write down what happened with dates while it is fresh, and work on a parenting plan before the meeting.

Free help for parents in Grand Rapids: the court help desks and legal aid offices below were checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

Kent: Legal Assistance Center. Free walk-in help finding court forms and legal information for people representing themselves, no legal advice given.

Kent legal aid: Legal Aid of Western Michigan, (616) 774-0672.

FamilyCourtHelp.com is a self-help platform, not a law firm and not a court, and nothing on this page is legal, clinical, or mediation advice. Court rules and local programs change, so confirm anything that matters for a case with the court, the order that appointed you, or the program itself.

Frequently asked questions

Where are custody cases heard in Grand Rapids?

The 17th Circuit Court in Grand Rapids hears all family matters for Kent County, including divorce, custody, paternity and child support.

Where can parents in Grand Rapids get free help with a family court case?

Free court help for parents without a lawyer: Legal Assistance Center. Free legal aid: Legal Aid of Western Michigan. Phone numbers and links are in the parents section above, checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

How can parents prepare for custody mediation in Grand Rapids?

Bring the family calendar, a draft parenting plan, a list of the issues still open, and a list of shared costs with receipts. Parents can put all of that together on FamilyCourtHelp.com before the first session.

What does a lawyer-guardian ad litem do in a Grand Rapids custody case?

If the court decides a child's best interests are not being fully represented in a custody case, it may appoint a lawyer-guardian ad litem to represent the child. The lawyer can give the court a written report, and the court may order the parents to pay all or part of the fees. You may also see "LGAL" and "guardian ad litem". The rule is in MCL 722.24. This is general information, not legal advice; the order in the case controls.

Is custody mediation required in Michigan?

Each county's Friend of the Court office must offer mediation for custody and parenting time disputes, and that mediation is voluntary. Separately, under the Michigan Court Rules a circuit court may order mediation of contested issues in a family case, on its own or when a parent asks.

Does Michigan use parenting coordinators?

A Michigan court may appoint a parenting coordinator for a set term to help carry out parenting time orders and settle parenting disputes. Both parents and the coordinator must agree to the appointment, and the court must first consider any history of violence or coercion between the parents.