Custody Evaluation, Part I: What Is it?
Even under ideal circumstances, custody battles are tense, emotional situations that absolutely will affect the rest of your life. When you and your ex have serious issues like abuse, neglect, or parental unfitness in the mix, the court will schedule a custody evaluation. Yes, custody evaluations: when they happen, they\’re a crucial part of how […]
Changes in Child Custody Laws to Help Abuse Victims
Earlier this year, a number of measures passed that make divorce proceedings much easier on abuse victims, and we realized we hadn\’t made a post about them, and that seemed like an oversight on our part. So we\’re here to rectify the situation by summarizing the measures and their impacts today! The Measures, Summarized HB4476: […]
When Is Joint Custody the Wrong Call?
When it comes to custody of a child after divorce, the default — for good reason! — is joint custody. That good reason is that in general, children are better off the more loving adults are in their life. Of course, science and law have both advanced significantly since this doctrine was first put forth […]
Child Custody IAQ: Crossing State Lines aka Parental Kidnapping
Child custody cases are extremely complex, and not just because of the human realities and emotional investment involved — they\’re complex just on their own, as legal entities. That\’s why we\’re devoting a couple of weeks this month to a short Child Custody IAQ: Infrequently Asked Questions. Today\’s questions involve crossing state lines with your […]
Child Custody IAQ: Custody of Children with Special Needs
Child custody cases are extremely complex, and not just because of the human realities and emotional investment involved — they\’re complex just on their own, as legal entities. That\’s why we\’re devoting a couple of weeks this month to a short Child Custody IAQ: Infrequently Asked Questions. Today\’s questions involve custody cases wherein the child […]
Child Custody IAQ: How to Take Custody of an Endangered Kid
Child custody cases are extremely complex, and not just because of the human realities and emotional investment involved — they\’re complex just on their own, as legal entities. That\’s why we\’re devoting a couple of weeks this month to a short Child Custody IAQ: Infrequently Asked Questions. Today\’s questions are all about someone (generally a […]
Child Custody IAQ: What If Neither Spouse Wants the Kid?
Child custody cases are extremely complex, and not just because of the human realities and emotional investment involved — they\’re complex just on their own, as legal entities. That\’s why we\’re devoting a couple of weeks this month to a short Child Custody IAQ: Infrequently Asked Questions. Today\’s questions involve the hopefully rare circumstance of […]
Military Parents with Custody Problems: What’s the Law?
So you\’re a parent with sole custody and you\’re in the military. You get the news that you\’re being deployed, and that you\’re going to have to hand custody of your children over to your ex for the duration of your deployment. Is that really what\’s going to happen? It depends. If your ex hasn\’t […]
Child Custody and Taxes: Who Gets the Exemption?
When you have a child, you\’re eligible for a Dependent Tax Exemption (DTE) of the same size as the basic \”I\’m a person\” exemption. But there\’s a catch — if you and the other parent file separately, only one of you can claim the exemption. This makes sense; the IRS doesn\’t want to give parents […]
Extra-Curricular Activities and Joint Custody
Once we\’ve helped someone with a divorce along with a joint custody agreement, they tend to move on with their lives and never come back into our office. When they do come back with a complaint that they want our legal help with, a startling number of them have the same complaint. It\’s \”my ex just […]
So You Can’t Adopt your Stepchild: Other Options in Michigan
Last week, we talked about the legalities behind giving a child three parents, and why it means that a loving step-parent can\’t adopt their stepchild if the other biological parent doesn\’t relinquish their parental status. First, let\’s talk about why not. Why Michigan Has Disallowed Three Parents There are a few reasons why Michigan, along […]
Can I Adopt my Step-Child if the Ex has Joint Custody?
Relatively common scenario: two people are married, but one has a kid by an ex-spouse. The new spouse loves the kid and wants to show their dedication to the kid, so they decide to attempt to adopt the kid. The old spouse has joint custody of the kid, but doesn\’t particularly object as the adoption […]