Category: Family Law

  • CUSTODY AND PARENTING TIME IN SAME SEX RELATIONSHIPS

    Perhaps you are wondering about your rights to share custody or parenting time of a child of a same-sex relationship? This is a hot topic in Michigan right now because, as of May 2023, there is a current case before the Michigan Supreme Court dealing with that very issue.  Now that same sex couples are…

  • What is Supervised Parenting Time?

    The idea of having time with your children while you are being supervised or observed is likely unsettling, but a court can order supervised parenting time to parents under when it believes that it will best serve the children. Supervised parenting time happens when a court thinks there have been, or there could be behaviors that…

  • Parenting During The Holidays: What to Expect When Your Ex is a Narcissist

    Being a divorced parent during the holidays can be tough. Having to share your kids with your ex can sometimes mean not getting to spend Christmas with them when your  if your parenting time order doesn’t work out in your favor. But there’s a big difference between taking turns to spend the holidays with your…

  • Why is The Friend of The Court Involved in My Custody Case?

    This is a question we’ve been asked many times over the years here in Michigan, by clients who are justifiably confused by the involvement of the Friend of The Court. After all, why would they be involved? Surely all you and your divorcing spouse need to figure this out is your respective lawyers and the…

  • Are You in Danger of Having Your Parental Rights Terminated in Michigan (Part 2)

    Welcome back and thanks for joining us. We’ve been talking about what it means to have your parental rights terminated in Michigan, specifically what’s involved in the process and what you can expect. In the previous article, we looked at what you should do if CPS shows up and takes your kids away, what you…

  • Will LGBTQ Families be Able to Foster And Adopt in Michigan?

    The issue of rights for LGBTQ people has been a spotlight issue in recent years. With the Supreme Court ruling that gay marriage was to be legalized across the nation, there was a corresponding surge in awareness of other LGBTQ issues. And here in Michigan, one of those concerns is the ability of gay couples…

  • I Don’t Want Friend of The Court Involved in my Divorce! (Pt 2)

    Hi there, thanks for joining us again for this discussion on Friend of the Court in Michigan, and what to do if you don’t want them involved in your divorce. As we pointed out in the previous article, Friend of the Court is the “eyes and ears” of the family court in Michigan but not…

  • Parenthood & Marriage – The Millennial Perspective

    As few as two generations ago (and for most of history before that) marriage followed by parenthood were milestones on the road of life that most people aspired to. But those facts are changing. With changes in generational perspectives happening so quickly these days, more and more people are restructuring their priorities. Which means assigning…

  • Why Can’t We Use The Same Divorce Attorney If We Agree on Terms?

      Divorce isn’t always a heated battle between spouses who can’t exchange three polite words and fight over every single detail. Some couples part ways amicably – knowing that their marriage didn’t work out, but that doesn’t mean they have to be enemies. So while some divorces are hotly contested at every turn, some are…

  • Getting Custody of Your Kids (Part 2)

      In part one of this series on gaining custody of your children, we looked at how a custody agreement is usually reached, and what the court considers important when changing custody agreements. Moving on, we’re going to look at what determining factors the court uses to make custody decisions.   First, a Friend of…