Category: Separation of Property
-
A Michigan Family Law Attorney’s Perspective on Prenuptial Agreements
After decades of practicing family law here in Michigan, I’ve learned that few topics generate as much confusion—and unnecessary fear—as prenuptial agreements. Many people assume a prenup will never hold up in a Michigan court, so they avoid the conversation altogether. That belief is simply incorrect. Michigan courts routinely enforce prenuptial (or “antenuptial”) agreements, provided…
-
Divorce and Bankruptcy in Mid-Michigan: What Ingham, Eaton, Clinton, and Ionia County Residents Need to Know
By Attorney Brandy J. Thompson Divorce and bankruptcy are very stressful legal experiences in a person’s life. Unfortunately, some people find themselves experiencing them at the same time. If you are juggling both cases in Mid-Michigan, whether you live in Lansing, Jackson, Charlotte, St. Johns, or Ionia, understanding how these cases interact with each other can…
-
Michigan Divorce and Digital Assets: Cryptocurrency, NFTs, and Online Businesses in Property Division
As digital technology continues to expand, divorces in Michigan are no longer limited to dividing homes, vehicles, and retirement accounts. Increasingly, courts in counties like Ingham, Eaton, Clinton, Livingston, and across Michigan have had to find a way to address digital assets such as cryptocurrency, NFTs, and online businesses. While Michigan law provides that all…
-
Professional Degrees and Property Division in a Michigan Divorce
When couples here in Mid-Michigan divorce, the court must divide marital property in an equitable way under Michigan law. Courts must make a fair, not necessarily equal, division of marital assets. But what happens when one spouse has earned a professional degree during the marriage, such as a law degree, medical degree, or MBA? Degrees…
-
Is Your Spouse Hiding Assets During Your Divorce? Here’s What Mid-Michigan Residents Need to Know
Divorce is a difficult process. Alongside the emotional aspect, you must also handle complex legal issues. In Michigan, the law requires both spouses to disclose all of their assets and debts during the divorce process. Failing to do so can result in serious consequences. If a spouse is hiding assets or debts during a divorce,…
-
Selling the Marital Home During Divorce in Michigan: What You Need to Know
If you are going through a divorce in Michigan, understanding how the sale of real estate is handled during the divorce can help you avoid costly mistakes and unnecessary conflict. Below are some frequently asked questions about navigating the home sale process during a Michigan divorce. Can the Marital Home Be Sold Before the Divorce…
-
Hidden Assets In Divorce Pt. 1: How Could Your Spouse Be Hiding Assets In A Divorce?
Even in the most cooperative of divorces, your spouse could be hiding their assets. This is often done to lower the amount of money awarded to the former spouse or even to lower the amount of child support owed. In Michigan, divorce requires equitable division of assets, but this doesn’t mean equal. It is illegal…
-
You Don’t Have to be Named on The Title to Own a Piece of Your Spouse’s Property!
Many divorcing couples in Michigan don’t understand how assets are divided in the event of a divorce. And who can blame them? It can be a bit complicated, and because we see so much conflicting information in movies and TV shows (many of which are based on laws in other states, or simply on the…
-
Can I Change The Locks if my Spouse Moves Out?
We get asked this a lot. People come into the office, curious about how to go about filing for divorce, and they want to know if, since their husband or wife moved out already, they can change the locks. It’s a good question, and one that we would always recommend you go ahead and discuss…
-
Will I Get to Keep The Stuff I Really Want After The Divorce?
Having just discussed the issue of who gets the house when you get divorced, we remembered that for many of our readers, the issue of the house is only one of many things that they have to divide up. There are all sorts of other things – ranging from credit card debt to cars to…