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These days, it’s not entirely unusual for couples to have children out of wedlock. In some cases, this occurs due to unexpected pregnancy, while in others, the parents make a choice to live together and raise a family without getting married. The problem is that this type of arrangement can muddy the waters of child custody, so that if parents ...

When children are minors, which is to say, under the age of 18, parents are responsible for their care, and this means providing for material needs such as food, clothing, medical care, and so on. Just because parents get a divorce doesn’t mean they aren’t both still legally obligated to financially provide for these basic needs. Following divorce proceedings, many ...

Many factors come into play when a court is determining child custody in Michigan, and this is only right since it’s a weighty decision with life-altering consequences for the child. If you are a parent attempting to gain sole or joint custody of a child or children, here’s what you should expect a court to consider before making a determination. ...

When you go through a divorce, a child custody case, or a property settlement situation, you can come out of the experience feeling a little beat up. You might just be glad the whole thing is over, even if the results are not what you hoped for. However, you should know that lower court decisions in Michigan may be subject ...

Marriage is a promise of exclusivity, wherein two people vow to honor and cherish each other for the rest of their lives. Most marriage ceremonies imply or explicitly state that this pact is made at the exclusion of all others. In other words, spouses promise to be faithful to one another. This is why infidelity is so harmful to a ...

It’s important to plan for the future, whether you want to save for your eventual retirement, you’re protecting personal assets against business debts, or you want to make sure your loved ones are cared for in the event of your untimely demise. Estate planning with wills, trusts, investments, and so on is just one way to reach your future goals. ...

Once a marriage is dissolved through divorce proceedings and property has been divided, you might think the process is done and you can wash your hands of your ex-spouse. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. If you have children, for example, custody and child support will still have to be determined. Whether you have kids or not, alimony, or ...

Divorce is a difficult and emotionally draining undertaking in and of itself, but when children are involved, it becomes even more complex. When parents have to decide where kids will end up, or worse, courts have to make a determination, the stakes are very high. If you’re a parent interested in retaining partial or full custody of children following a ...

In our last post, we broke down the changes to the Child Custody Act of 1970 being proposed in Michigan House Bill no. 4691. This time, we’re going to get a bit opinionated on the subject. We mentioned in our previous post several things that the House Bill did right, and several that were clearly wrong. Talking about the wrong ...

Michigan House Bill no. 4691 seeks to amend the heck out of the Child Custody Act of 1970, all the way down to the name. The new name tells you everything up front: they want to call it the “Michigan Shared Parenting Act.” Here are the changes that you need to be aware of: “Best Interests of the Child” The ...