The Michigan Legislature is once again considering a joint custody requirement for divorced parents with children. House Bill 4691  would mandate that judges award joint custody and substantially equal parenting time, unless there is a preponderance of evidence of domestic violence. I

Appellate court incorporates Troxel v Granville definition of “fit” into Michigan’s Child Custody Act   A trial court’s finding that divorced parents were not “fit” was incorrect and, as a result, the Michigan Court of Appeals reversed a grandp

On January 1, 2017, numerous changes to the Michigan child support formula went into effect. The revisions not only update economic factors when calculating Michigan child support, but involve substantive changes, too. Here is an overview of the major changes. Retirement plan contribu

The stepparent adoption process just got simpler in cases of joint custody arrangements, now that Public Act 143 of 2016 has been signed into law. Stepparents in Michigan have sometimes had a difficult time adopting their stepchildren, which requires a termination of the other biologi

Michigan Court of Appeals has confirmed that the Equitable Parent Doctrine applies equally to same sex and opposite sex married couples with children Not too long after the Supreme Court issued its opinion in Obergefell v Hodges legalizing same-sex marriage throughout the United State

Domestic Violence Awareness Month brings to attention to incidents of domestic violence while seeking to empower and support survivors of these terrible crimes. If you haven’t heard by now, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), which was originally created by the Nation

Lansing divorce attorney sits down with WILX to discuss what, if anything, changes with same sex divorce in Michigan Same sex marriage is legal in Michigan, which means that same sex divorce in Michigan is also permitted whether gay couples were married in the state or not. Lansing di

Court of Appeals reinforced that parties who fail to follow court orders may be forced to pay attorney fees in Michigan divorce cases Is it possible to be awarded your attorney fees in a Michigan divorce or family law case? The short answer: yes, but only rarely and only in particular

Michigan’s ban on same-sex marriage is now invalid Today was a day eagerly awaited by many in Michigan and across the United States –  the Supreme Court has legalized gay marriage in the United States. In its 5-4 opinion written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, the Supreme Court in O

Depending on how the Supreme Court rules in its same sex marriage case, the Michigan gay adoption bills may have little impact Last week, many in the state of Michigan were either shocked, disappointed, or especially pleased with Governor Snyder’s decision to sign three bills, HB 4188