While visitation is a child custody issue and therefore separate from child support, many custodial parents see them as intertwined. For instance, parents may think it is unfair that a parent who fails to make child support payments is allowed to spend significant time with his or her children and may be tempted to deny that parent their visitation rights.…
A recent decision handed down by the Michigan Supreme Court allows parents with delinquent child support payments to potentially avoid a felony charge by arguing that it is impossible for them to meet their obligations. The court upheld a lower court’s 2004 decision that it does not matter whether a non-custodial parent can afford to pay child support, but ruled…
How can you tell when your marriage is worth saving, or if a divorce is in your family’s best interest? It is important to assess the strengths and problems in your marriage before making this decision. Marriage counselors and attorneys in Michigan and throughout the nation can help a couple examine their marriage and the steps they should take for…
Post-divorce child custody agreements are often individualized to meet the needs of both parents and children. These agreements may also be modified throughout the children’s lives, so that both parents are able to spend important times with their children. A recent case highlights a very unusual custody agreement that may be precedent-setting for sports loving divorcees with children. It is…
Parents in Michigan who are owed child support should be informed that there are a number of legal mechanisms available to attempt to compel compliance. One way that law enforcement has been aiding those owed child support is by placing an orange “boot” on vehicles owned by parents who behind on payments. The mechanism prevents individuals from using their vehicles.…
There is no doubt that some divorces can turn bitter. When children are involved, there are cases when a vengeful parent takes his or her anger at the divorce out on the other parent. A woman is accusing her professional basketball player husband of being a bad father to their children, but it leads some to wonder if she is…
Experts are saying that increasingly, spouses who are divorcing are fighting over who will retain custody of the family pet. In many Michigan divorces, a shared pet is thought of as a child so the emotional toll of splitting custody is quite significant. In Michigan, as in all states, domestic pets are considered to be property. In the eyes of…
Few Michigan parents face as large of a back child support obligation that Randy Jackson, brother of the late pop star Michael Jackson, is facing. He is purportedly on the hook for a total of $600,000 in back child support, including interest. Years ago, his ex-wife obtained a default judgment against him in a paternity case, ruling him the father…
A child custody battle between parents inevitably has an effect on the child. Parents may disagree about the conditions set for visitation, child support and other issues that commonly come up during a child custody case. If one parent is unwilling or unable to abide by obligations set in a custody hearing, there may be legal consequences. A pattern of…