Michigan Divorce Appeal Attorney

Last updated on March 17, 2025

Are you questioning the fairness of a divorce ruling and thinking about challenging it? Michigan divorce appeals lawyer Lisa D. Stern can assess your case and guide you through the process of filing an appeal. If you’re concerned about legal errors during your trial or the judge’s application of the law, contact Lisa today for an initial consultation. She can help you explore your legal options and discuss how you could proceed with an appeal. Your time to act is limited, so contact Lisa D. Stern now to begin reviewing your case and planning your next steps.

Understanding Divorce Appeals in Michigan

An appeal is a legal process where you ask a higher court (the appeals court) to review the decision of a lower court (the trial court) for any errors the trial court may have made. You are not getting a “do-over” of your trial when you appeal a divorce ruling, and you can’t introduce new evidence or ask the court to conduct a new trial simply because you didn’t agree with the original outcome. The appeals process focuses solely on whether a trial was fair and legally correct.

You must cite specific legal grounds to appeal a divorce ruling, such as errors the trial court made in the application of the law or decisions that are at odds with the facts of the case and established law. In other words, any appeal must focus on legal mistakes rather than disagreements with the judge’s opinions or findings that were within reasonable bounds of judgment.

Appeal by Right vs. Appeal by Leave

In Michigan, there are two primary ways to appeal a divorce ruling: by right and by leave. An appeal by right is possible only for final orders issued by a court. You must file this type of appeal within a strict time frame following the divorce ruling. It allows you to directly request an appellate court to review the lower court’s decision to ensure it was fair and in accordance with the law.

For situations where the order is not final, or the timeframe for an appeal by right has passed, you could seek an appeal by leave. This requires you to obtain permission (leave) from a higher court. Filing an appeal by leave involves demonstrating to the appellate court that there are significant reasons to consider the appeal, such as potential errors in the initial proceedings or critical legal issues that could influence the outcome. The higher court has the discretion to grant or deny such appeals based on the merits of your request.

Common Reasons for Divorce Appeals

When you appeal a divorce ruling in Michigan, you must base your argument on specific legal grounds – reasons that you believe impacted the fairness or correctness of the trial’s outcome. Here are some common legal grounds that often lead to divorce appeals:

• Legal Errors: One typical reason for appealing a divorce decree is a legal error. This occurs when a judge makes a mistake in applying the law to the facts of a case. For example, a judge’s incorrect interpretation of the law regarding asset division or child support calculations could significantly affect their final judgment. The appellate court can review the trial record to determine whether the trial court applied the law correctly and may overturn the decision if it finds a substantial error.
• Evidentiary Concerns: Another common ground for appeal is the improper admission or exclusion of evidence. During a trial, certain rules dictate what evidence is admissible, meaning what the judge can consider in their decision-making. If a judge wrongfully allows evidence that should be excluded (like hearsay) or excludes evidence that should be admitted (like relevant financial documents), their decision might unfairly influence the case’s outcome. An appeal based on these grounds seeks to correct such errors, potentially leading to a different outcome on re-evaluation.
• Judicial Bias: Another possible ground involves judicial bias. This happens when a judge shows an unfair bias toward one party, which could affect the impartiality the law requires. In a case where one party can show that the judge acted with favoritism, such as by unduly privileging one side’s arguments or by making child support decisions inconsistent with the normal range of awards, proof of the judge’s biased actions could form the basis for an appeal. The appellate court can examine the accusations of bias to see if they likely influenced the trial’s fairness.
• Factual Issues: Lastly, a significant discrepancy in factual findings could be a basis for an appeal. If it appears that a judge made a decision based on facts that the available evidence did not support, their wrong assumption could lead to an overturned decision on appeal. The appellate court might look into whether the judge’s factual conclusions were erroneous considering the evidence, potentially resulting in a change to the judgment if substantial mistakes occurred.

The Divorce Appeal Process

To appeal a divorce ruling in Michigan, you must file a notice of appeal with the court that issued the original divorce decree. You must file this notice within a specific period after the judge’s decision, usually 21 days for an appeal by right. Filing this notice starts the appeal process.

After filing your notice, you will need to prepare and submit a brief to the appellate court. This document outlines the errors you believe occurred during the trial and why the decision should be reconsidered. Along with the brief, the court will review the transcripts from your divorce trial to understand the context of the proceedings and the available evidence.

Once the appellate court receives all necessary documents, it can set a date for oral arguments. Both sides can present their views directly to the judges during these arguments. After hearing from both parties, the court will deliberate and make its decision. The entire process, from notice to decision, can take several months to over a year, depending on the complexity of the appeal.

Potential Outcomes of a Divorce Appeal

When you appeal a divorce decision in Michigan, the appellate court could decide on several possible outcomes. One possibility is that the court might uphold the original ruling. This means the appeals court believes the trial was fair and the court correctly applied the law, so your divorce decree would remain as it was.

Another potential outcome is that the appellate court might reverse the original decision. The court might do so if it finds significant legal errors that could have changed the outcome of your case. A reversal could affect parts of your divorce decree or the entire decision, depending on the situation.

The court might also remand the case, which involves sending it back to the lower court for further proceedings. This could happen if the appellate court believes certain issues need re-examination or additional evidence is necessary. If the appellate court remands the case, the lower court must address these issues under the guidance of the appellate court’s findings.

Contact a Divorce Appeal Attorney in Michigan Today

Successfully appealing a divorce judgment involves strict requirements and calls for a thorough understanding of complex legal procedures. Lisa D. Stern can guide you through this demanding process and help you seek the fair outcome you were denied. If you think your divorce decree was unjust, take action now by contacting Lisa D. Stern for a confidential initial consultation.