Michigan Legal Help explains emergency orders and responding after service.
For fathers just served ex parte custody papers
You were just served. You don't have to face the next step alone.
Start with official Michigan guidance and legal help now. The planned Custody Edition aims to help you rehearse; it is not available to play here yet.
Help you can use now · Michigan
Official information, forms, and real help.
Read the served order immediately. Confirm the response deadline, required form, and filing steps with your court or a lawyer; do not wait for a practice edition to launch.
Michigan Courts instructions for an objection to an ex parte custody, parenting-time, or support order.
Use Michigan Legal Help’s finder for legal aid, clinics, and lawyer options. Eligibility and availability are determined by each provider.
Links checked November 2, 2026. These organizations are independent; listing them does not imply partnership or endorsement. Unshaken does not prepare or file court forms.
We understand
This may be the most stressful day of your life.
Your stomach dropped.
You opened the papers and read words like "emergency" and "suspended parenting time." Nobody warned you.
You can't sleep.
Your mind replays every moment, every text, every argument. You wonder what the judge already believes.
You feel powerless.
A decision about your kids was made before you were even heard. That's not weakness talking. That's what this process does to people.
The anxiety you feel is real, and it makes sense. Understanding the next step may help you feel steadier. You deserve support as well as information.
Planned Custody Edition practice
Knowing the process gives you back control.
- Hour 1
A calm, plain-language map of what an ex parte order is, what it isn't, and what happens next.
- First 72 hours
Your deadlines, how to respond or object, and the mistakes that cost fathers time with their kids.
- Before the hearing
Rehearse out loud with an AI judge, the Friend of the Court investigator and the other side.
- Every day after
Practice living by temporary orders so one slip doesn't become evidence against you.
Practice the hardest conversation of your life, as many times as it takes.
Rehearsal is intended to help you organize child-focused facts and practice answering questions. It cannot guarantee calm, parenting time, or a particular decision.
K♥
Money can't buy back time with your kids.
Bedtime stories, school pickups, weekend games. Time with your kids matters. Start by reading your papers, confirming deadlines, and contacting legal help—don't wait for Unshaken to launch.
Start preparing now.