Bloomfield Hills Family Law Blog

While there can be blame, guilt, and other factors that lead to the breakdown of a relationship, the concept of fault in divorce carries a specific meaning in the practice of law. In many US states, the person filing the petition to dissolve the marriage must state...

Behind the concept of child support is the basic principle that parents have legal and financial responsibilities to the child, regardless of whether they are in an intact relationship. A court order may be entered in connection with a divorce or paternity case, and...

While not all couples will deal with alimony and issues related to minor children, most parties in a Michigan divorce case must address property division. Often, they can reach an agreement on how to divide some or all of their assets, either on their own or through...

There can be no doubt that divorce is life-changing for couples ending their marriage, but the stakes are higher for parents who must address the needs of minor children. Beyond the legal issues involved with child custody, visitation, and support, divorce can shatter...

Going through the Michigan divorce process is not easy, but dissolving a long-term marriage introduces numerous challenges that parties may not expect. A so-called “gray divorce” encompasses the typical questions that you must address at any age, such as property...

There can be no doubt that raising a child is expensive, which is why lawmakers have established a Michigan Child Support Formula as a guideline for calculating the obligation for both parents. Courts are required to apply this formula when setting child support, and...

One of the most frustrating situations a custodial co-parent may face is not receiving the essential child support that was ordered by the court. However, you might be overwhelmed by the challenges when the payor parent moves or already lives out of state. Whether...

It would be ideal to get a Yes or No response to this type of closed-end question, but the truth is that numerous factors prevent a simple answer. The basics of Michigan’s alimony statute provide that a party can request it, and a court may award spousal support when...

When you are thinking about ending your marriage, you are probably wondering about your options. If you have done any initial research, you may have come across information about both annulment and divorce, and you may have heard conflicting information from friends...

When parents in Michigan separate or get divorced and they share minor children from their marriage, the court will determine how the parents share child custody. Child custody includes making important decisions about the child’s upbringing (i.e., legal custody) as...

When you are considering divorce, you may have spoken to friends or family members about the process, and you might have done some research on your own. In doing so, you might hear or learn that you should file for divorce first in order to have more control over the...

When you are having significant problems in your marriage that cannot be resolved, yet you have specific reasons for wanting to avoid divorce, you should consider the possibility of separate maintenance. For example, perhaps one of the spouses needs to remain on the...

Divorce in Michigan is never easy, regardless of whether you are involved in a contentious divorce or a relatively amicable separation. To be sure, divorce means making major lifestyle changes, from living arrangements to financial budgeting to childcare planning....

Michigan divorces occur for many different reasons, from financial problems in the relationship to infidelity. While infidelity is often highlighted as being a reason for divorce, how frequently is it actually the sole cause of a divorce, or one reason among many?...

If you are planning to file for divorce because of your spouse’s behavior or actions, or if your spouse has already filed for divorce, you may be wondering if you will need to prove fault. Further, you likely want to know if proving fault will affect the outcome of...

Anyone who is getting divorced in Michigan is likely to have concerns about the division of marital property and whether they will be able to retain some of the assets that are most important to them. If you have recently filed for divorce or you have been served with...

Financial issues in Michigan divorces can lead to significant acrimony between spouses, even when the parties are forthcoming with one another about all property owned and acquired prior to and during the divorce. When one spouse attempts to conceal assets during a...

When you are planning to file for divorce, or your spouse has informed you that she or he plans to file for divorce, the most common scenario is that one of the spouses will move out of the marital home. Yet when making a decision about moving out, it is important to...

If you are getting divorced in Michigan, the chances are good that you have heard a wide variety of myths and misconceptions about spousal support or alimony under Michigan law. From reporting information about spousal maintenance from other states that is...

Whether you are in the early stages of planning for a divorce in Michigan or you have already taken steps toward getting divorced, you probably have many different questions about what you can and cannot do under Michigan law. One question we often hear from parties...