It may not be the most romantic subject to discuss during your engagement, but a prenuptial agreement can be a helpful financial planning tool for your marriage and help reduce time, conflict, and cost if you ever divorce. These contracts may be helpful for most couples but especially in these circumstances. Substantial assets A spouse having significant assets or income…
Michigan parents often prioritize the health and safety of their kids when going through divorces and separations. It can be monumentally hard to ensure that a child does not suffer during a major family transition, but there are tools under the law that can smooth disagreements about how a child’s post-divorce life should look. Those tools are child custody and…
Child custody decisions can have a significant impact on the lives of children, parents and families. For that reason, parents should be familiar with how child custody is determined when a child custody arrangement must be reached between the parents. Factors used to determine child custody Child custody factors that are used to make child custody decisions include: The love,…
When a high-income Michigan couple is going through a divorce it can be a complicated affair. There are many things that need to be worked though with property division often being one of the most contentious. Michigan is an equitable distribution state which means property accrued during the marriage is subject to equitable distribution among the couple. While most property…
Property division in Michigan follows equitable property division rules. What this means, and the implications, for divorcing couples going through a divorce and the property division process is important to understand. What is equitable property division? Equitable property division is a form of property division that focuses on equitable property division principles to fairly divide property between the divorcing couple.…
What happens to the family home in divorce? This is a question many divorcing couples likely ask themselves. Understanding the various options for dividing a family home during divorce can help divorcing couples navigate the oftentimes emotional process of splitting up assets including their home. What happens to the family home in divorce? There are a couple of different options…
For some Michigan stepparents, their stepchild is a wonderful addition to their family, and they love them very much. A stepparent can adopt a stepchild in Michigan through a court process. This can be a fulfilling event for both the stepparent and their stepchild. There is no set amount of time that a person needs to be a stepparent before…
In the last year and a half, which parent has child custody has dictated which parent receives a significant amount of support from the federal government. These tax credits and relief payments can be a real lifeline for parents who are struggling to get by, but the process has been enormously confusing for parents, leading to a lot of disputes.…
As we’ve discussed previously on the blog, there are many factors that go into a best interests determination as it pertains to child custody. That’s why when you have to deal with a child custody dispute, you’re better off taking a holistic approach to the issue. While each factor of the best interests determination can play a role in a…
In Michigan, many people experience a change in circumstances that they believe renders their child support order obsolete. They will then ask for it to be changed. This can be from the viewpoint of the custodial parent who is receiving support or the parent who is paying support. Regardless, it is important to understand that not every case yields the…