Michigan Family Law Blog

There is a lot of planning to do for the wedding including the location for the reception, guest lists, seating, etc.  The list can seem endless but one thing that should be on the list that must be done before the wedding is signing a prenuptial agreement.  While this is far more sobering than planning the wedding celebration, it is actually far more important.  This blog is written as a general explanation of prenuptial agreements and their enforceability in Michigan

I am writing this blog to generally explain what will happen to a family cottage, deer camp, retreat or other land that has been in the family of one of the spouses, not a cottage that has been purchased by the divorcing couple

I have had a number of cases where one of the spouses was either a professional photographer, videographer, producer or very serious hobbyists.  This blog is written to very generally address what will happen with the photographic or video equipment when it comes to a divorce.

It is the time of year when most of us in Michigan are getting very tired of the winter weather and we start really looking forward to spring and summer. Thinking ahead to summer, I write this blog to generally address what will happen with a couple's boat or boats when people get divorced in Michigan.

One question that comes up frequently in consultations is "when can I move out of the marital home"?  This blog is written to very generally address that issue.

Recently a friend of mine facing a potential divorce had a lot of questions for me, one of which was "what happens with my hunting equipment" if I get divorced?  This blog is written to very generally address this question. 

Michigan is a great state for camping and enjoying the outdoors (except January - March) so many people here own recreational vehicles or RV's.  Unfortunately, if a married couple owns an RV and has to get divorced, the question can become what do we do with the RV?  This blog is written to gener...

This blog is written to very generally address what will happen with your car in a divorce.  If you have specific questions, please do not hesitate to contact us to schedule a consultation by clicking on this link or calling (248) 608-4123.

One question I am often asked as an attorney who has practiced family law here in Oakland County, Michigan for almost forty years is what will happen to my inherited property if I get divorced.  This blog is written to generally address that issue.  If you have specific questions about your own matters, you should contact us to schedule a consultation before filing for divorce.

If you are marred with children and facing the possibility of a divorce or separation, the first priority is to determine how the courts in Michigan will handle custody of the kids.  This blog is written to generally address joint custody in Michigan.

There are many different aspects to any divorce case.  One thing that is common to pretty much every case is the division of property and/or debt.  This includes everything from personal property (the pots and pans) to real estate, bank accounts and retirement accounts.  This blog is written to generally address how the family law courts in Michigan will handle the division of divorcing spouses' 401(k) accounts.

I have handled many many international divorce cases that involved citizens of different nations, property in other nations and custody/parenting time issues that involve children that will reside in another nation.  The first question I am always asked is whether the courts in Michigan will have jurisdiction over the case, the people or the property that is to say, can we file the case here in Michigan? 

I see a lot of international divorces in Oakland County, Michigan due to the global nature of the automotive industry.  This can lead to a variety of relatively novel questions for family lase cases primarily involving jurisdiction issues.  One question that I am frequently asked is how land in another country will be handled if a divorce case proceeds here in Michigan.  This blog is written to generally address this issue.

The downfall of Sherrone Moore has been difficult to watch for many reasons and most people I talk to feel the worst for his family.  He made many alleged errors leading up to the termination of his employment at University of Michigan and as is so often the case, it was his actions subsequent to the initial wrong doing that are the biggest problem.  His affair and alleged misconduct with a faculty member would have been problematic but his alleged threats of self-harm, threats toward his alleged mistress and the allegations that he broke into her house are extremely damaging.

Michigan is a "no-fault" divorce state.  This means that while both people must say "I do" to get married, either person may decide to get divorced for good reasons, bad reasons or no reason at all.  For better or worse, people change over time and things happen, you need a prenuptial agreement to protect yourself.

Filing for divorce is a tough decision, especially if you have children.  No-one really wants to file for divorce during the holiday season, however, if you want to get divorced by summer in Michigan, you should consult with a family law attorney shortly after the start of the new year.

There is no doubt that over time, dogs have become more and more important to their owners and are generally considered a part of the family, like a furry child.  This begs the question, what happens to the family dog in a divorce case?  This blog is written to generally address this question, every case is different, if you have questions regarding your own situation, please do not hesitate to contact us by clicking on this link or calling (248) 608-4123.

There are many concerns that people have when they are faced with the breakdown of a relationship and the potential for divorce.  Everything in your life is subject to potential division and change, that includes the family cat.  Pets have become more and more a part of the family and are often c...

I have been practicing family law in Oakland County, Michigan since 1996.  It seems that more often than ever I am handling cases where one of the spouses in a divorce case has moved out of Michigan either for work or to pursue an online romance.  When this occurs I am often asked if the spouse t...

When it comes to a divorce, everyone faces a significant amount of uncertainty about their future.  People worry about how it will effect the kids, how it will effect their finances and where they will be able to live.  It becomes even more difficult for people to make the decision to file for divorce in times of economic or political uncertainty.  Frankly, if you are considering a divorce, you should meet with an attorney to discuss the issues regardless of the economy or the current political climate.

The issue of the marital home becomes more complicated when the parties have been separated for some time and one spouse has been living in the home and paying all the bills associated with the home including the mortgage.  This blog is written to broadly address how that issue is handled by the family law courts here in Michigan.

This blog is written to very broadly address where a parent should file for divorce if they have children and one of the parents resides in another country.  If you have specific questions, please contact us to schedule a consultation by clicking on this link or calling (248) 608-4123.

When a person gets divorced all of the property and debts will be divided equitably or roughly equally unless one spouse can prove that the property is their separate property and should not be subject to division.  I recently came across an interesting case that addressed this issue.  In that case, the divorce was dragging on for more than a year, the spouse's were separated and had separate bank accounts.  Before the divorce was finalized, one spouse hit the lottery and won several million dollars.  The winning spouse claimed that this should be considered his separate property and not surprisingly the other spouse claimed it should be considered marital property subject to division.  This blog is written to generally address what happens to lottery winnings or other property that is acquired by one spouse before they are fully divorced, if you have questions about your own situation and property division, please do not hesitate to contact us to schedule a consultation by clicking on this ling or calling (248) 608-4123.

Many people seem to think that alimony is no longer around in Michigan but that is simply not true.  Alimony is called spousal support and it is alive and well in Michigan.  Very frankly, it is the biggest grey area in family law or divorce.  This blog is written to broadly address the factors the court may consider if a divorce goes to trial and which of those factors come into play most often when determining alimony.

Property division is one key aspect of virtually every divorce.  This includes all types of property, from personal property like jewelry, to real estate to retirement accounts.  This blog is written to very generally address the issue of taxes with regards to division of 401(k) plans/accounts, if you have questions regarding your retirement assets and divorce or separation, please do not hesitate to contact us to schedule a consultation by clicking on this link or calling (248) 608-4123.