Michigan Divorce

Frustrated and thinking about divorce?

Happiness and “in love” are not always equal. You can remain in love with your spouse and remain unhappy in your marriage. Communication, trust and forgiveness may be cornerstones to a successful marriage, however, so is happiness. After all, everyone should have a right to be happy. If you are frustrated and thinking about divorce[…]

Property in Michigan

Can I keep my house in a divorce?

The connection to a home can be profound. Homes serve as a backdrop for signifigant events and milestone. A home is typically associated with feelings of comfort, saftey and security. Homes can also have sentimental value, especillay if there are children involved. Homes can also have value as an investment. Which begs the question: “Can[…]

Property division

The marital estate – What to divide?

The importance of understanding the nature and extent of the marital estate before reaching a settlement cannot be understated. After all, if you do not know what there is to divide, how can you determine if a deal is a good or bad deal? Lawyers obtain this information through a process called discovery. Sometimes, the[…]

Parenting Time

An introduction to parenting time

Parenting time (visitation) defines the frequency and duration each party spends with their child. Under Michigan law, parenting time is governed by statute. Specifically, Michigan Compiled Laws 722.27a, which is more commonly known as the parenting time statute.

Custody in Michigan

An introduction to custody

There are two types of custody. Legal custody, which describes how parents shall share decision-making authority MCL 722.27a and Physical custody describes physical care and supervision of a child. MCL 722.1102(n).

blank

An introduction to divorce in Michigan

An introduction to divorce begins with the definition of divorce. “Divorce” is the legal process by which a marriage ends and changes your legal status from married to divorced. In Michigan the court will address the division of property and debts, alimony (sometimes called spousal support), and in cases involving minor children custody and parenting[…]

Parenting Time

How to enforce parenting time (or any order).

On October 26, 2023, the Michigan Court of Appeals issued its opinion in the case of Josey vs. Hayes. An appeal filed by Ms. Hayes after the trial court found her in contempt of court for failing to abide by a parenting time order. Althought Ms. Hayes managed to win on appeal (the trial court[…]

Michigan Divorce

One Minute Michigan Divorce

The Michigan divorce process may seem complicated, however, in this video we summarize the process in less than a minute. The Michigan Divorce Process Step 1: The first step in every divorce is to file a Complaint for Divorce. The Complaint for Divorce sets forth the statutory requirements to divorce in Michigan. These requirements include[…]

Custody in Michigan

Child Custody Modification. Trial Court reversed.

In what appears to be a rush to judgment to protect a minor child’s mental health, the trial court in the Barretta case, changed custody without following the three steps to modify child custody.

Michigan Parenting Time

Michigan Parenting Time Guidelines

In Michigan, the parenting time statute provides that parenting time shall be granted in the best interest of the child. The State Court Administrative Office publishes the guidelines for parenting time which is directed to help Friend of the court’s around the State. Each county also has their own guidelines. We help you understand what you need to know.

Property division

Is Michigan a 50/50 state in divorce?

Take two long term marriages with the exact same marital estate. The first marriage is 30 years and the parties lived as husband and wife. The second marriage is 30 years and the parties have not seen each other for 29 years. Obviously it would not be equitable (fair) to treat both of these cases the same. In the first example, a 50/50 division would seem appropriate, but not in the second example.

blank

Divorce in Michigan – Everything you need to know

Marriage struggles are real and sometimes things just don’t work out the way you plan. If your unhappy and are considering a divorce in Michigan, here is everything you need to know. Sometimes things don’t get better. However, the proverb “knowledge is power” can help you take control of your situation with a fresh start[…]

Custody in Michigan

Michigan Child Custody Video Library.

For over 10 years we have been writing articles on Michigan child custody and in this blog post we reflect back on over 70 articles and videos on this important topic on Michigan divorce and custody law. Child Custody Videos In Michigan, Child custody refers to the legal and practical arrangement regarding the care, control,[…]

custody

The Different Types of Custody.

In sum, although court’s have created two types of custody (Physical and Legal), however, there is really only one type of custody that has two parts (The frequency of parenting time (MCL 722.26a(7)(a)) and decision making authority (MCL 722.26a(b)(b).

discovery

Discovery. The process of finding assets in divorce.

It is imperative to understand the nature and extent of the marital estate before reaching a property settlement in divorce. In a Michigan divorce case, the formal process of finding assets is called discovery. After all, you cannot negotiate a good deal until you have an understanding about what there is to divide and the[…]

custody

The effects of divorce on children

The science behind the effects of divorce on children in sound. Although each family is unique, divorce has been shown to have a negative impact on a child. However, research supports the notion that the impact of staying in an unhealthy marriage can be worse, as a child learns that it is ok to be[…]

Divorce process

The Early Intervention Conference in Oakland County

The Oakland County Friend of the Court (FOC) consists of a group of attorneys, counselors and support staff which assist the court in cases involving minor children or support by providing a formal (or informal) dispute resolution service including custody and support valuations. Another important function of the FOC is to conduct an Early Intervention[…]

Property division

Separate property can be invaded in divorce.

Michigan statutory law authorizes a court to divide property in a divorce that was acquired “by reason of the marriage” MCL 552.19. Generally speaking, property acquired by reason of the marriage is considered marital property whereas property acquired before or after marriage is considered separate property.  Simply put, a court will divide marital property (See: Byington v Byington ) and not divide separate property (See: Reeves vs. Reeves , providing that: “each party takes away from the marriage that party’s own separate estate with no invasion by the other party”). However, there are certain circumstances when separate property can be invaded.

Custody modification

Child Custody – a case of proper cause.

On January 26, 2023, the Michigan Court of Appeals issued its opinion in the highly contentious case of Hawes v. Cromie, the unmarried parents of a 13 year old son. For more than ten years, the child’s parents have litigated over every aspect resulting in the court noting that: Throughout the last decade, the parents’[…]

Imputation of income

Imputation of income for child support

When a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, or has an unexercised ability to earn, the Michigan Child Support Formula Manual allows a court to include the potential income that parent could earn as income for support purposes (MCSFM 2.01(G)).

Changing custody

How a court prevents you from changing custody

Suppose you are involved in a contested child custody battle and lose. Why can’t you simply refile the case and try again? The answer is provided in the seminal case of Vodvarka v. Grassmeyer. In Vodvarka, the Michigan Court of Appeals created a barrier to changing custody in order to avoid repeated custody evaluations.

Call Now Button