Michigan Family Law Blog

Providing what's best for a child is sometimes blurred by emotion, assumptions, and misunderstandings. Whether it is a custody dispute, adoption dispute, or another issue with a child, including an adult child with a disability, a Guardian ad litem (GAL) may be appointed in Michigan to represent ...

The rate of divorce has increased over the years, and much of it has to do with social acceptance of it. Social acceptance, however, does not make the dissolution of a marriage in Oakland any easier. When a marriage ends, you have decisions you need to make that will affect your future and the fu...

Understanding How Domestic Violence Impacts Divorce in Michigan Domestic violence in Michigan is persistent and can affect families in deep ways that impact their present and future lives. False accusations of the same are also damaging. In divorce, both occur. In many cases, a cause for the dis...

Michigan Parenting Plan Guide We all want to make sure our children are not hurt by a divorce, separation, or breakup.  Michigan courts also want to do their part to make sure that parents get quality time with their children because it is believed that the children, absent a valid reason like s...

The rate of divorce has increased over the years, but that does not make the dissolution of a marriage in Michigan any easier. When a marriage ends, you have decisions you need to make that will affect your future and the future of any children you may share with your ex-spouse. Getting the right...

Divorce Lawyer in Michigan for Business Owners When a couple divorces in Michigan, their debt and marital property – the property they have accumulated and shared during their marriage – is subject to property distribution. In Michigan, the court will split the martial property in an equitable o...

Divorce is hard enough, but dividing marital property can be even more so. First, we have to identify what is considered marital property, and that can be a contentious process, especially if there's been any commingling of funds between separate property and marital assets. Then, valuation of th...

If you are thinking about divorcing your spouse, the financial aspect may be your greatest concern because no matter your income level, your financial situation can take a hit when you divorce. Spouses who didn't work or worked less while married financially dependent on the other spouse. The cou...

Many people when confronted with the possibility of a divorce consider whether they should opt for trying a legal separation first.  While there are a myriad of emotional reasons why one might want to try a legal separation first, in most cases from a legal perspective, it is better to simply fil...

There are many questions that people have when considering a potential divorce or separation.  For many people it makes their minds race with questions that increases their anxiety to a very uncomfortable level.  One question that I am often asked by people whom I tell I am a family law attorney ...

Is it Just a Threat? In a divorce, often the most important issue will be custody or parenting time of the children.  This is the most emotion packed issue for many divorcing parents and sometimes can cause people to act in erratic ways.  One thing that we encounter often in the filed of family ...

If you own and operate a small business, are part of a family business or are a contractor/employee that is required to use an LLC, then you should be particularly concerned about getting a divorce in the State of Michigan.  The main reason is that the business or some portion of it will be consi...

The most difficult issue in many divorce cases, is how to handle custody of the children.  There are actually two types of custody, legal custody and physical custody as well as a parenting time schedule.  Generally, legal custody refers to the ability to have a say in the child's upbringing, suc...

As part of the divorce process, every aspect of one's family and financial life must be addressed.  This includes a long laundry list of potential issues including custody, parenting time, restrictions on parenting time, child support, alimony, division of debt, division of property, insurance - ...

Many couples that are going through a divorce continue to reside in the same home during the divorce process.  This can often be a very difficult situation for both parties, it is at the very least awkward and can lead to issues of harassment and even abuse.  Given that this is a very d...

The recent pandemic affected all Americans and Michiganites.  Many people were laid off from a variety of different industries but now many businesses are reopening and many people have the opportunity to return to work.  However, not all people are returning to work for a variety of reasons, som...

In most litigation in America each party or person involved in the litigation pays their own attorney fees.  This is true regardless of whether either side wins or loses, this is referred to as the "American Rule" when it comes to handling attorney fees.  This is often true in divorce cases, in m...

Divorces that involve families with minor children are often the most emotionally challenging and require the resolution of many issues.  The primary concern should always be the best interests and welfare of the children which requires careful consideration of custody (legal and physical), paren...

You have to follow the procedural and substantive laws in Michigan to get a divorce. Procedural rules deal with things like the number of days you have to do something. Substantive law has to do with things like how to calculate a parent's child support obligation. Working with a lawyer can help...