Divorce Education – Michigan Divorce Attorneys – Clients – Articles and Videos
Senate and House republicans recently reached an agreement on the final tax bill which was signed by President Trump today. The impact of tax reform and divorce law may be significant. The tax reform law goes into effect on January 2018. However, as everyone knows we file taxes in April for the prior tax year[…]
On December 12, 2017, in the case of Ludwig v. Ludwing, the Michigan Court of Appeals issued an opinion for publication which is a pretty big deal. Unlike an unpublished opinion which is advisory, published opinions must be followed by every trial court in Michigan. The opinion determined that Court ordered therapy between a parent[…]
The formal Michigan divorce process – Divorce Steps: In Michigan, a divorce follows a formal process. It is important to note that a case can settle at any time during the divorce process. The statutory waiting period for a divorce with and our Michigan divorce attorneys understand the steps and can help you navigate the[…]
It is easy to get lost in the trees when you should be focusing on the forest. However, we recognize that some people like the nitty gritty details which is why we created the nitty gritty details series. The nitty gritty details series will focus on the technical side of Michigan divorce, custody and support[…]
When a court enters an order, the power to enforce the order is by a finding of contempt of court and violating a court’s order is not a child’s game. Contempt of court is the willful failure to obey a court’s order and can be punished by a civil penalty (money), criminally (jail) and sometimes[…]
The Ghost of a Lawyer Future – A letter to the Newly Minted Attorney Kristina Bilowus, is an associate attorney at Findling Law and adjunct professor at Western Michigan University Cooley Law School. Kristina had the honor of being published in the November 2017 Michigan Bar Journal, a publication by the State Bar of Michigan.[…]
In the case of Szcygiel v. Szcygiel, the husband challenged the trial court’s finding that a home acquired by the parties during the marriage by an inheritance was his wife’s separate property. The parties married in 1980 and had two children. The marital home was on one acre in Kingston, Michigan. The wife’s parents lived[…]
On October 17, 2017, the Michigan Court of Appeals issued an opinion in the case of Jaroh v. Jaroh. After the parties signed a settlement agreement at mediation. However, before the court entered the Judgment of Divorce, the wife filed a motion to set aside the settlement agreement, claiming the terms were not fair, duress[…]
It is easy to get lost in the trees when you should be focusing on the forest. However, we recognize that some people like the nitty gritty details which is why we created the nitty gritty details series. The nitty gritty details series will focus on the technical side of divorce, custody and support laws.[…]
Macomb 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 Macomb County Circuit Court. The Macomb County Circuit Court – Family Division is simply known as the Macomb County Divorce Court. The Macomb[…]
Sometimes the Court of Appeals refuses to make a decision and directs the trial court to do so before making a decision. Such was the outcome in the case of Karungi v. Ejalu, which is case involving custody of an embryo. Gloria Karungi and Ronald Ejalu are the parents of a daughter who was naturally[…]
On September 21, 2017, the Michigan Court of Appeals reviewed the case of Christopher Gucwa v. Maranda Lee. Miranda asked the Court of Appeals to review the dismissal of her Motion to change custody. A Motion is a term of art used in the legal profession to ask the court to do something and Miranda[…]
There are three types of legal separation in Michigan. The first type of legal separation in Michigan is called a Separate Maintenance Agreement. A Separate Maintenance Agreement is similar to a divorce. One party files a Complaint for Separate Maintenance with the court. Unlike a divorce were the court ends the marriage with a Judgment[…]
Regardless of whether you think that your life was better or worse before your divorce, you’re still left with a lingering set of emotions as you maneuver your way through the process. These emotions – this baggage – can be holding you back from finding happiness again. Consider how losing the emotional baggage can help[…]
In a recent report by ABC news, Rebecca Bredow indicated that she would “absolutely” rather go to jail than vaccinate her son. Her former husband, on the other hand wants to follow a regular vaccination schedule and she is refusing to do so. The American Academy of Pediatrics consider vaccinations safe, effective and the most[…]
In the case of Ali v. Ali, the husband took an appeal from the trial court’s decision to award the wife 80% of the value of the marital home. Why? Because the court found him at fault for lying to the court about his assets and income. While there is no requirement under Michigan law[…]
On August 22, 2017, the Michigan Court of Appeals in the case of Roe v. Roe upheld the trial court’s decision to change child custody from the mother to the father. In the Roe case, the parties married in 2006, separated in 2010, and divorced in 2014. The father is a soldier in the United[…]
When a trial court is faced with a request to change child custody, it must first make a determination if there is proper cause or a change of circumstances since the last child custody order. If a court determines that there is proper cause or a change of circumstances then the trial court must conduct[…]
A statute of limitations is a law that defines how long a person has to bring a legal action. In some cases, it simply is time to move on. For example, the current statute of limitations on unpaid child support is 10 years from the date the last payment is due. So, if your child[…]
When things don’t go your way, it is easy to blame the decision on a biased judge. A bias judge is a judge who has a prejudice in favor or against one thing, person or group compared with another. It the context of a divorce or custody case emotions are often running high and an[…]
Michigan is a no-fault divorce state and many people (and some lawyers) are of the belief that means only a 50/50 property division is fair. While it is not uncommon for a divorce to result in property acquired during the marriage to be divided 50/50, it is not what Michigan law requires. In fact, fault[…]
With a population of 21,000 people, Marquette Michigan may be considered a small town, however for the parties in Lessard v. Londo, Michigan Court of Appeals Docket No. 336156, the small town was home to a big problem involving the best interest of the child, age 16 months. Mr. Lessard met Ms. Londo on the[…]
On June 13, 2017, the Michigan Court of appeals issued a published opinion on Grandparent time. In the case of Geering v. King et. al., Mich. App. No. 335794, the trial court made a determination that the biological parents were unfit and that grandparent time was in the children’s best interest notwithstanding the biological parent’s[…]
Here at Findling Law, we appreciate how anxious you may be to get your divorce over as soon as possible. In fact, you may be scrolling through the extensive library of divorce materials on our website right now, educating yourself on a variety of Michigan divorce law topics, as well as how to best prepare[…]
Alimony and spousal support are payments made to support a former spouse. Most attorneys use guidelines to estimate an alimony payment. However, Michigan alimony law allows for an evaluation of the needs of the parties in determining alimony or spousal support, something that alimony guidelines don’t do. The most popular alimony guidelines take into consideration[…]