Michigan Divorce Appeal – Navigating the Michigan Court of Appeals: Sometimes a trial court does not make the right decision. A custody determination, property division or alimony award that is just wrong. What can you do? The answer is to request an appeal at the Michigan Court of Appeals. Generally, decisions from “final orders” of[…]
Parenting time in Michigan (visitation law): What does Michigan law provide? How can you modify parenting time in Michigan? Want more than the basics? Click the button. Parenting time and visitation mean the same thing under Michigan law. The statute, MCL 722.27(a) uses the term visitation to describe the frequency and duration a parent spends[…]
Oakland County Circuit Court – Family Division: At Findling Law, we have the great privilege of appearing before divorce courts throughout the state of Michigan. One of these courts is the Oakland County Circuit Court. The Oakland County Circuit Court – Family Division is simply known as a Michigan Divorce Court. The Oakland County[…]
Does it matter who files first? The question, “does it matter who files for divorce first?” There is both a legal and emotional answer to this question. Earlier this year, I wrote an article on the emotional component of a divorce. See: https://www.thedivorceguy.com/the-emotional-divorce/. One question always seems to have an emotional component. From a legal perspective,[…]
The engagement ring: Glamour magazine reports that on average, a guy will spend about $5,229 on an engagement ring which is a lot of money, yet far less than the 10 most expensive engagement ring’s according to a Hollywood gossip website. So it begs the question, what does Michigan law have to say about an engagement[…]
Religious divorce and Michigan divorce law: Religion plays an important role for many. When a divorce is pending, religion can also play an important role. For the pious, a divorce through the courts is not enough and although they are required under Michigan divorce law, the parties will also seek a religious divorce. In Christianity[…]
Marriage and Divorce conflict of laws – Full Faith and Credit & Comity: When we recite the pledge of allegiance we are reminded that we are one nation under god, but the United States is composed of fifty independent States with different laws that often conflict with each other. A Michigan divorce is valid in[…]
Macomb County Circuit Court – Family division (Divorce Court): At Findling Law, we have the great privilege of appearing before divorce courts throughout the state of Michigan. One of the most enjoyable courts to practice in is the Macomb County Circuit Court. Why? The Macomb County Divorce Court has experienced and knowledgeable judges that understand[…]
Obamacare The Affordable Care Act and Michigan divorce: According to the University of Michigan, a divorce results in about 115,000 women losing their private health insurance every year. Many rely on the Consolidated Omnibus Business Reconciliation Act (COBRA) to provide relief. If a former spouse is employed by a company that offers health insurance (and[…]
Parenting time and visitation guidelines and directives: When parents are going through a divorce, it is not uncommon for children to struggle with the situation. After all, children want to love both their parents, even if the parents may no longer love each other. It can be difficult to shield your children from the stress[…]
How to divide retirement accounts in a Michigan divorce: When property is divided in a divorce, lawyers and judges typically focus on property acquired during the course of the marriage. Retirement accounts are considered property and come in all shapes and sizes. So what are the major types of retirement plans and how do we[…]
Top 10 divorce questions to ask your lawyer: People always ask me what divorce questions should I ask a lawyer. I compiled this list of top 10 divorce questions you should ask during a consultation. Hopefully, answers to these divorce questions will provide guidance and help you determine if the attorney is a good fit.[…]
Child custody evaluation: A child custody evaluation is on the horizon? Are you ready to take the test? While most child custody evaluations are accomplished with the assistance of the Friend of the Court, courts and clients often utilize an independent clinical or forensic psychologist to conduct a child custody evaluation, typically, a PhD.[…]
Super Lawyer – New York Times rising star – Daniel J. Debene: Michigan Divorce Lawyer, Daniel J. DeBene an associate of Findling law was recently awarded a Super Lawyer rising star. We want to Congratulate Mr. DeBene. ATTORNEY PROFILE – Daniel J. DeBene Bio: Working directly with Mr. Findling since 2008, Mr. DeBene specializes exclusively[…]
Avoiding child support – the Felony: Some people go to great lengths to avoid paying child support. Robert D. Sand fled to Thailand, to avoid paying support. Robert D. Sand was labeled the country’s most-wanted deadbeat parent by federal authorities when his unpaid support climbed above $1 million. He was sentenced to two and a[…]
How to settle a divorce case The majority of Michigan divorce cases settle. This article and video addresses hot to settle a Michigan divorce case and is part of the Michigan Divorce Education Series by Findling Law. Let our exceptional legal[…]
Discovery and Michigan divorce: Almost every Michigan divorce case settles. However, not every settlement is fair. The best way to insure a good settlement is proper preparation and discovery is the formal process by which lawyers prepare a case for trial or settlement. Discovery is used to “discover” evidence that is relevant to your case. […]
Divorce in Michigan – Avoiding a 10% early retirement penalty: In almost every divorce case, at least one party is a beneficiary of a retirement account and in many instances, a retirement account is a marital asset that can be divided without a 10% early withdrawal penalty. In simple terms, if a portion of a[…]
Michigan Divorce Education Series Michigan divorce planning: Before you have the “talk”, it might be in your best interest to sit down and talk with a qualified divorce specialist. Proper divorce planning can play an important role in not only how much your divorce case will cost but how stressful the process will be. Before[…]
Michigan Divorce and Innocent Spouse Relief: Imagine you discover before, during or shortly after your divorce that you have a large outstanding tax liability. You may have known nothing about it. Unfortunately, the IRS will likely hold you equally responsible for all tax due even if the income or improper deduction was the fault of[…]
The emotional affair: Are you cheating? A recently married legal assistant in my firm has a broad definition of cheating. She believes if you do something with someone other than your spouse, and don’t tell your spouse about it, it is cheating. Under her definition, lunch with an old “friend” that you fail to tell[…]
Michigan Divorce Education Series Michigan legal separation: “Honey, we have to talk.” These words can be a cause for concern, or even lead to divorce. Many people struggle with the decision to divorce. Michigan law provides alternatives to divorce, including legal separation. The webinar provides a comprehensive look at Michigan legal separation agreements. In[…]
Michigan Divorce Education Series Moving with children: This video Webinar is a comprehensive explanation of Michigan law and strategy covering changing domicile (moving with your minor children). Key learning’s and strategies are discussed. I am hopeful you find it both empowering and educational. (run time – approx. 6 minutes) Michigan divorce law does not prohibit[…]
Michigan divorce steps: This video is a complete – everything you need to know – explanation of Michigan law and strategy covering the steps of a divorce. The basic and not so basic divorce steps are discussed and explained. I am hopeful you find it both empowering and educational. A summary of the topics covered[…]
Michigan Divorce Education Series – Property division Divorce in Michigan – Property Division: This video Webinar is a comprehensive explanation of Michigan law and strategy covering property division. Key learnings and strategies are discussed. I am hopeful you find it both empowering and educational. A summary of the topics covered is provided below. (run time[…]