Michigan Family Law Blog

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...

I am often asked by a potential client or in conversation with people who know that I am a family law attorney the same question, in a variety of different forms that boil down to "Should I Wait to File for Divorce?"  There are several reasons that people may want to wait to file for divorce incl...

One aspect that must be handled in almost every divorce is how to handle the division of debt.  Almost all marriages involve some form of joint or personal debt that must be addressed when separating households, whether it comes in the form of student loans, mortgages, car loans or credit card.  ...

There are really three basic issues that can be present in any divorce case: child custody, parenting time and child support, division of property/debt, and alimony known formally in Michigan as spousal support.  The question of what happens to a 401(k) falls into the area of property division. ...

One question that I am often asked as a divorce lawyer or family law attorney this time of year is whether there is any advantage to filing a complaint for divorce before the end of the year.  The answer really depends on the person's situation as to whether the should just go ahead and file or w...

There can be many issues in any given divorce case based upon the circumstances, some cases may have serious custody, parenting time or child support, same may have alimony issues, some with debt, but almost all cases require some division of property including but not limited to the house, cars,...

The holiday season in Michigan can bring many things; cold weather, office parties, food and sometimes issues about parenting time or custody.  This can often arise when parties are separated and going through a divorce, recently divorced or sometimes it can just be an ongoing problem.  What is ...

Now that it appears that the vaccines will be made available for most children, I have already had a client contact me to advise that while he would like his children to get vaccinated, his wife disagrees.  He wants to know how to handle the situation. Can I Just Take My Kids to Get Vaccinated i...

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 ...

From alimony (or spousal support as it is called in Michigan) to child custody, parenting time and property or debt division, divorce or separation is likely to affect every aspect of a person's life.  One issue that I have often come across as a family law attorney in Oakland County, Michigan is...

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 ...

There are really three potential parts to a divorce, one - possible child custody, parenting time and child support issues, two - potential alimony issues and three - the division of assets and debts.  Divorce lawyers generally refer to the part of a divorce that deals with dividing assets and de...

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...

Divorce Laws & Procedure Evolve Over Time Divorce and the laws that govern it, with regards to the outcomes of a case as well as the procedure itself, continue to evolve over time.  Where once it was almost routine that one parent would be granted primary physical custody and the other would ess...

There are many issues that one must face when dealing with a divorce or separation, some cases involve custody or alimony but almost all cases deal with some sort of property and/or debt division.  There are many nuances to divorce law and some it can be very counter-intuitive.  The pressure of a...

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...

There are many issues that one may encounter in a divorce, from custody and child support to alimony and property division, almost every aspect of one's life will be affected by the divorce and the divorce process.  Some issues will generally be more financial based while others may be more emoti...

Should I Get A Prenuptial If you are considering marriage you have probably at some point thought about whether you should get a prenuptial agreement.  If you live in the State of Michigan, then you should strongly consider getting a prenuptial agreement.  Many people do not realize that when th...

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...

When spouses divorce, an individual may be required to pay spousal support to their partner. Spousal support is financial support to assist a spouse who may not have the financial resources to support themselves after a separation or divorce. Michigan's divorce statutes define when a spouse quali...

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...