However, Michigan still says it is the state to hear the custody issues. And that's where matters now stand. This raises an interesting possibility, namely, that a California court will hear the custody issue while a Michigan court determines child support and the other issues. That would be expensive for both parties, and might result in difficulties of coordination. Probably, it won't work out that way, as the judges in California and Michigan will coordinate and resolve the matter.
State law conflicts.
The court's reasoning, that the child lives in California, begs the question a bit, because if the Michigan court had the right to make the decision, then the Michigan court has the authority to command the mother and child to reside in Michigan. As things now stand, both Michigan and California have concluded that they are the correct court to hear the custody issue. Ultimately, this case theoretically could be appealed to the Supreme Court, as a contest between the states. California's approach raises the possibility that expectant mothers in bad marriages will look into custody laws in various states and flee to the states most likely to award them custody, and give birth there. It is worth noting that, in this case, the mother went to California because her mother was there, not because of possibly pro-mother custody laws.