Blended families are common today, and a stepparent may want to formally adopt their stepchild, making their relationship legal and strengthening their bond. Although the stepparent adoption process can appear daunting or complex, a basic understanding of the requirements and steps involved will increase the chance of a smooth and efficient adoption. Terminating parental rights must come first Michigan, like…
Child support in Michigan is determined by several different factors. A judge enters a child support order based on these factors and issues a Uniform Child Support Order, which specifies the monthly amount to be paid by the parent responsible for paying child support. However, this amount can be modified based on various circumstances, one of which is the cost…
A lot of people who go through divorce worry about what their financial stability will look like as they move into living a single life. This is understandable, and its why there’s a lot of focus on the property division process during marriage dissolution. Yet even though it’s critically important to ensure that you’re getting your fair share of the…
Once a child custody order is finalized post-separation, both parents are bound to the terms of the order. However, it is likely that your family will experience one or more unexpected life changes before your child turns 18. These changes may warrant a change in your custody arrangement. For example, you may receive an exciting new job offer that would…
Although they can be incredibly resilient, children are also extraordinarily fragile. To thrive, they need a safe home environment where they are loved and supported, and some routine doesn’t hurt either. But the sad reality is that far too many children are subjected to unhealthy, unstable, inconsistent, and downright dangerous living conditions, including those that involve parental substance abuse. Exposure…
When a couple decides to divorce and they have children, they will need to decide on a custody arrangement. There are two types of child custody, legal and physical custody. Legal custody allows a parent to make important decisions for the child about their education, religion and health. Physical custody refers to which parent the child lives with and where…
When a Michigan couple decides their only option is to get a divorce it has often been quite a process to get to this stage. A divorce is not an easy decision and can affect every aspect of a person’s life. There are many issues that a couple needs to work through in a divorce and if children are involved,…
Divorce is often filled with drama, which can make the painful emotions of the breakup even more difficult to bear. One aspect of divorce that is especially contentious for Michigan couples is property distribution. When spouses look at their assets, they may have different recollections about whether they bought that expensive painting together or if one of them owned it…
Typically, when a couple gets married, one spouse will assume the last name of the other spouse. If they have a child, that child will take the same surname as the parents. If the couple divorces at some point, the spouse who assumed the surname usually returns to their original last name. But what about a child? What if a…
The family home is a hot topic during a divorce. It is often the most expensive asset a couple owns, and one with a lot of emotional significance. This is why we have posted about what happens to the family home after a divorce. Though, the natural question that pops up after reading that article is, “what happens to the…