Michigan Family Law Blog

Q: My Spouse Filed For Divorce and I Was Completely Blind-sided.  What Do I Do? I am sure that it feels like your world is coming apart right now and that everything that matters to you is falling apart.  Call your friends and family to talk about it.  Take deep breaths and concentrate on your br...

There are many consequences of getting a divorce in Michigan. One consequence overlooked by some individuals is the financial consequences of a divorce. Transitioning from one household to two separate households can be difficult. The couple now has to pay twice as much to support the family as i...

Custody and parenting time in Michigan, which is sometimes referred to as child visitation in other states, is often the most difficult aspect of any divorce case.  These issues can be even more complicated where the prospective parents were not married and may have had only a casual dating relat...

In recent years, Oakland County Michigan divorce attorneys often hear about cases where divorced or divorcing parents disagree about whether their child or children should be given various vaccinations.  Where the parents are still married it is clear that neither parent can force the other paren...

A Lothario, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is "a man who behaves selfishly and irresponsibly in his sexual relationships with women.  'they are seduced by a handsome Lothario who gains control of their financial affairs."  Oakland County Michigan divorce attorneys all too often come across c...

More often than not, Oakland County Michigan divorce attorneys hear clients complain that they want a divorce for common reasons like infidelity, addiction, abuse, or even because they just grew apart. Whatever the reason the marriage broke down, they want out—and the sooner the better. Many, esp...

Q: What happens to a prenuptial agreement if the wedding isn't valid? A “prenup”, as prenuptial agreements are called, is a contract between two unmarried people who are preparing to marry and want to maintain their own separate assets and income after the marriage. Michigan prenuptial agreement ...

Q: If I Am Ordered to Pay Alimony or Spousal Support, Will it Terminate When I Retire? If the family court in Oakland, Michigan, has ordered you to pay alimony also known as spousal support in Michigan, then you may wonder whether your obligation will end when you retire.  The answer is maybe. Fi...

Q: Is there anything clients can do to lower the cost of divorce? If you're considering getting divorced in Oakland, Michigan, you will likely seek out a divorce attorney that exclusively practices in family law and is compassionate and accessible. But it's also important to find an attorney that...

Q: I Am Thinking About Filing For Divorce After the Holidays.  Is There Anything I Should Do Now? When you're getting divorced in Michigan, there can be many different issues to resolve.  Almost all cases will involve the division of property and debt.  How property is titled or held or whom incu...

Q: After Alimony Has Ended, Can A Judge Reinstate It? If you're considering getting divorced in Michigan, then you most likely understand that you will have to divide your property and debts as part of the process.  In addition, depending on the facts of your specific case, alimony, or spousal su...

Q: Can a Parent's Move or Job Change Cause a Change in Custody or Parenting Time? If you're considering getting divorced in Michigan, and you have minor children; custody and parenting time can be a very difficult issue.  Even after the divorce itself is over custody or parenting time may change ...

Q: How is property divided in a divorce? If you are confronted with the possibility of getting divorced in North Oakland, Michigan, you most likely will have property that must be divided.  The property and debt, regardless of whose name it is in, will have to be divided and this can be a difficu...

Q: How is debt handled in a divorce? If you're considering getting divorced in North Oakland, Michigan, you might have an idea about the issues you need to work out with your soon-to-be ex-spouse, but there may be unexpected issues, too.  Even if you don't have the added emotional burden of wor...

Q: Can grandparents get visitation rights or be granted custody? If you're considering getting divorced in Michigan, and you have minor children, working out the physical and legal custody of the children can become contentious. At stake is not only how much physical time the child will live wit...

Q: Will my spouse get half of my pension if we divorce? When you're getting divorced in Michigan, there are several factors that need to be worked out before your knot is officially untied.  If you have minor children, you'll have the often emotionally-charged issues of child custody, visitati...

In Michigan, there is a separate court referred to as the family division of each circuit court that handles all of the divorce, alimony, custody and related matters.  Each case is assigned to a judge and that judge will hear all of the matters associated with that case.  This means that a judge ...

When someone wants to start a divorce, he or she files a complaint for divorce with the appropriate circuit court.  The court then has authority to issue orders which the parties (the married couple getting the divorce) are required to obey.  One type of such order is a restraining order that sta...

It can be devastating for a parent to lose custody of his or her children. The parent may go through the stages of grief after the court ruling, including denial, anger, and depression. Before giving up hope, talk to a Michigan child custody lawyer. There could be things that you can do to regai...

It might be tempting to record conversations your spouse has during a divorce action. However, if you record your spouse's conversations, you could be facing additional court actions, including criminal charges. Before deciding whether to record your spouse during a divorce, talk with a Michigan...

In most cases in America each litigant (person or group involved in suing or being sued in court) pays for his or her attorney fees regardless of who wins the case.  This is called the American rule when it comes to legal fees, in some other countries, the losing side often has to pay for the oth...

Getting a divorce is difficult in many ways from the emotions to the financial strains.  One sure way to make matters worse is to attempt to navigate divorce laws and the legal process without a skilled family law attorney.  There are many technical issues, timelines and rules that must be follow...

Child custody issues can be emotional and complex. Both parents may believe that it is in the best interest of the kids if the kids stay with them. If your ex-partner is disputing custody, contact a Michigan child custody lawyer immediately to discuss ways that you can show that the kids belong ...

If a spouse is hiding money, there is often a paper trail that will show money disappearing from an account or other discrepancies like a difference between income the pay records from an employer reflect it is paying the spouse versus what the spouse is actually depositing in the account.  If yo...

If you are considering a divorce and have children, then most likely child support will be an issue in the case and depending on the difference in your incomes (and other factors) alimony might be an issue as well.  The court will determine income differently than the Internal Revenue Service or ...