A high-asset Michigan couple who has decided to dissolve their marriage must face the difficult issue of valuing their assets so they can be divided equitably. For these couples, valuing the family home can be the most difficult issue in the division of their assets. Not only is the family home perhaps the couple’s single most valuable asset but it…
If you have been married for many years or even decades, the idea of divorce might not be on your radar. Still, an empty nest or differing goals later in life can strain a marriage. The divorce rate of those aged 50 or older is climbing according to some attorneys and researchers. Those going through a late in life will…
There are a lot of facets to parenthood, but in the eyes of Michigan law, parenthood is a legal relationship. Under the law, parents have rights and responsibilities toward their children. Biological parents who live with their children may not have to think about them very often, but the legal aspects of parenthood become clear when the parents split up…
Generally, under Michigan law, any property acquired by either spouse during a marriage is considered to be marital property. Even if a banking account or some other asset is in one spouse’s name, the other spouse generally has some property right to it. This only becomes an issue if the couple decides to divorce. During a divorce, couples need to…
When parents separate, they will likely go from living in the same house together with their children to living in different homes. Two separate homes can make it more challenging for the child to spend quality time with both parents. This is especially true if the child’s parents live hundreds of miles apart. Possible scheduling options for long distance parents…
We all have the best intentions when it comes to providing our children with all their needs as they grow up. For some parents, this includes paying what they owe in child support. However, you cannot always predict your financial future and there may come a time when you are unable to meet your child support obligations. If these delinquencies…
Same-sex couples thinking about divorce may worry about a different track they may have to follow. Luckily, under the law, there is no difference in same-sex and opposite-sex divorce. However, due to the nature of the law and the relative newness of same-sex marriage, gay and heterosexual couples, in practice, may have a different experience. Stigmatization For heterosexual couples, in…
Generally speaking, family courts in the greater Detroit area are going to prefer that both parents spend as much time as possible with their children and are involved in their children’s lives. Also, the preference is for the two parents to cooperate on important decisions for their children. These are normally good goals in a custody proceeding, but when one…
You may not have expected a late-in-life divorce, but you are reaching retirement and have found that now that your nest is empty you do not have the same relationship you once had with your spouse. If you are in your 50s and are facing divorce in Michigan you will want to make sure you know what will happen to…
Are you nervous about how your child custody dispute is going to play out? If so, now is the time to ensure that you’re as fully prepared as possible regardless of whether you’re going to be negotiating a resolution or litigating in hopes of achieving the outcome that you think is best for your child. One part of that preparation…