When you decide your marriage is over, it can feel like a tremendous weigh has been lifted off of your shoulders. Suddenly, you look to the future and don’t feel like you’re behind held back—you know that you’re doing what’s best for yourself and your family.

However, while you may think that you’re ready to go full steam ahead and pursue a new relationship, it’s important to weigh a few things before you do. Getting into a new relationship is a beautiful and exciting thing, but you should make sure the timing of it doesn’t get into the way of your divorce process, which can make things complicated.

Here are a few reasons to consider putting the kibosh on a new relationship until you’re officially divorced.

1. Pursuing a new love interest before your divorce is over can end up costing you financially. How? If your ex-spouse thinks you may be spending your joint money on a new relationship, this can be brought up during your divorce, and make the fight over finances more pronounced.

2. If you choose to date during a divorce where children are involved, it may actually threaten your potential parenting and custody arrangement. How? Your spouse may be hurt and try to contest any arrangement you may have previously held. If they’re able to prove that the person you’re with is not “good” around the children, it may not work out well for you.

3. Ask yourself if you’re in the right space, and if it’s what is best for your children. Kids are resilient, but divorce is a big change for them, too. Consider giving them a chance to adjust to their new normal before it changes again with the addition of your new partner.

Schedule Your Free Consultation

Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, we’re here for you to answer any Michigan divorce questions you may have. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation, which can take place via telephone from the comfort of your own home.

We look forward to learning about your case and helping you move forward!

Law Firm Owners – Business Continuity Plan – Working Remote / Offsite Guide

Law Firm Owners – Business Continuity Plan Working Remote / Offsite Guide

Law Firm Owners – Business Continuity Plan ��� Working Remote / Offsite Guide

With divorce comes many changes—especially those that may affect your finances. Some people find the need to rebuild completely after divorce—purchasing a new home and essentially starting over.

If you need to rebuild following a divorce or family law matter, we’re here for you. Here are a few ways you can use finances to improve yourself following your legal troubles.

1. Create a new budget. Now that you’re single, it’s important to create a budget that fits your new life and how you want to live. You may find it tough to be honest at first, but once you carve out a realistic budget, you’ll feel much better about things. When you do this, you can also use it as an opportunity to make sure you aren’t missing any funds that were supposed to be allocated to you as a part of your divorce.

2. Define your priorities. What you may have spent money on while married may not be the best option for you now. That doesn’t mean skimp out on things you love like eating out, attending yoga classes, or going to the movies. It simply means you now have a chance to focus your finances on yourself instead of another person, so you should do exactly that!

2. Plan out the type of life you want to live. We always tell our clients that divorce can open your mind to plenty of new beginnings that might be what you never know you actually wanted or needed. Think about if you’d like to move or keep your house. Do you want to take up any new hobbies? Consider divorce a blank slate and a chance to start over and living life the way you want to. Financially, you’ll have full control over what you want!

Schedule Your Free Consultation

We’d love to speak with you and help you with any challenges you may be finding in your life. Contact us today to schedule your complementary consultation, and feel free to share this article with anyone who may be going through divorce.

We look forward to helping you or a friend in any way that we can.

Whether you’re going through a divorce in Michigan, child custody case or have another family law matter pending, it’s important to select an experienced family lawyer who can help get the results you’re looking for while standing by your side and fighting for your rights.

Before you hire a Michigan divorce attorney, you should know how to decide if they’re right for you.

We’ve compiled a few helpful questions that you may want to consider asking before any paperwork is signed.

• Find out who will be handling your case. There are often several different attorneys at each practice, and the person you initially speak with may not be who actually represents you in a court of law. It’s important that you feel confident and comfortable in your representation, so making sure you know that the lawyer who will handle your case is a good fit for you is paramount to your success.
• Sort out financials and billing details. Many different law firms bill clients in different ways, so if you’re using a lawyer that you haven’t before, you’ll want to find out how they bill clients for the work completed. Will there be an initial retainer? Or will everything be billed hourly? It’s better to understand the details now than to receive a hefty bill that you weren’t expecting.
• Ask how many of their cases go to trial. When it comes to divorce matters, it’s quite rare that it goes to trial—in fact, a divorce trial results in just 1-2% of all divorce cases. However, it’s still important to understand whether or not your attorney has the proper capacity and knowledge to fight for your rights in front of a judge if it comes to that. On the contrary, if you’re pursuing a divorce that will require heavy mediation, a courtroom lawyer may not be the best fit for you.

Get Help Today

If you’re wondering if we’re right for you, we’d love to meet you and learn more about the legal help you’re looking for. Contact our team today to schedule your free, no obligation consultation.

We look forward to speaking with you!

Entering into a divorce is enough stress as it is—but when children are involved, you’re dealing with a whole other set of problems that can arise—especially those that can be emotionally based and difficult to help them understand.

We’ve helped thousands of people just like yourself manage divorce with children, and we wanted to offer a few tips to help your child deal with the separation of their parents.

Here’s what you can do.

1. Make sure they feel loved and supported. Sometimes it can seem like your divorce throws a new challenge your way every day. It’s important to remember to remain supportive of your children, making time for them and helping them feel loved. You may also find that this lowers your stress as well.

2. Make fun plans. While we don’t recommend spoiling your child, which could make them feel like they’re being ‘rewarded’ for the difficult time, we recommend making the same fun plans that you would otherwise. Just because you’re getting divorced doesn’t mean you should stop living your life—continue to take the kids out for ice cream or a movie just as you normally would.

3. Know when counselling is appropriate. If you feel like your child is taking the divorce especially hard, it may be time to consider getting them into therapy or counselling. If they’re withdrawing socially or having trouble with school, these can be telltale signs.

4. Talk to them about how they’re feeling. It’s common that kids may feel a bit of ‘blame’ during divorce, even though that’s never true. If you’re able to, speaking with the child with your ex can often help.

5. When your ex makes you upset, try to manage your emotions. Do not show your child that you’re feeling angry.

6. Hold more family gatherings. This will only help your child feel more supported and loved by all of the friends and family members in their lives.

Need Legal Help? We’re Here for You

If you’re going through a divorce or need help starting the process, we want to help. With decades of experience, we’re confident that we can get you the outcomes you’re seeking, being there for you every step of the way.

Contact us today to learn more and schedule your free consultation. We look forward to learning more about you.

Sometimes, divorce can turn ugly—especially when children are involved. If this sounds familiar to your situation, it’s important to remain calm, cool and collected, trying your best not to stoop to your exes’ level of petty.

We’ve compiled a list of the top mistakes some couples make during a child custody battle, so that you can better avoid them.

1. Going against the temporary court order. Sometimes, when a divorce happens, figuring out a custody arrangement for the children comes later. In the meantime, a judge may issue a temporary custody order. If you’re currently in a temporary custody arrangement, it’s important that you respect the order and do not go against it—this can give your ex more leverage in a court of law, not to mention, it’s defying court orders. If you have a problem with the temporary court order, you should handle it with your lawyer through proper legal measures.

2. Over-sharing on social media. We get it—it’s easy to “go off” on social media these days—but if you complain too much, or even make disparaging comments on your Facebook feed about your ex or current court situation, it can be used against you in a court of law. You’ll also want to refrain from posting anything can could be misinterpreted. All in all, if you wouldn’t shout it from a rooftop, don’t post it!

3. Getting arrested. One of the easiest ways to show the court that you aren’t quite fit to have full custody or even partial custody is to get arrested while your child custody arrangement is pending. If the crime is violent, your ex will have even more ammo against you in a court of law—in fact, it’s likely in this scenario that you may only be allowed supervised custody visits. If you have criminal charges pending, you’ll want to hire a lawyer ASAP who can help you with your case.

Learn More Today

If you’re going through a child custody battle and need expert legal assistance, we’d love to help. We’re proud to offer free consultations to any client who gives us a call. We look forward to learning more about your case.

Before filing for a divorce, some married couples wonder if they instead should get an annulment. At our law firm, we’ve helped clients just like yourself figure out which option is right for you.

Here are five grounds you should consider when it comes to an annulment in Michigan.

1. Force or fraud. If either you or your spouse entered the marriage forcefully or in a fraudulent way, this is typically enough to grant an annulment in the state of Michigan. A few examples include a woman who may be pregnant at the time of marriage with another man’s child, however she did not let her new husband know. Fraud includes anything that may fall under “intentional deception”.

2. Bigamy. This means that a spouse entered the marriage already married to another person at the time. This would make the marriage in question entirely void, and therefore, reason for annulment.

3. Under age spouse. In Michigan, people under the age of 16 cannot legally enter a marriage unless there is a signed court order.

4. Incapacity. This may include physical or mental incapacity and must be filed with the court within two years of the marriage. A third party may file on behalf of a mentally incapacitated spouse.

5. Kinship. Some may not know that kinship includes step family relations. A person may obtain an annulment if the spouses are closer relation than first cousins.

Need a Legal Consultation? We’re Here for You.

If you have unanswered questions about getting a divorce in Michigan or want to continue with annulment proceedings, we’d love to help answer your questions. Contact us today to get started and schedule your free, no obligation consultation.

We look forward to speaking with you.

When you’re dealing with a vindictive or desperate partner, it can be frightening to go up against them in a divorce or child custody case not knowing what they may throw your way—especially when the information isn’t always true.

It’s important, however, to handle yourself in a calm and collected manner. Here are a few tips to follow if you think you may find yourself in a similar situation.

1. Keep excellent records. If someone is going to make false accusations in a court of law, the best thing you can do is prove them wrong—and have the evidence to back it up. Take notes surrounding any interaction with your soon-to-be-ex spouse in a journal, and be sure to back it up digitally should anything ever happen to it. If you communicate with them online, take screenshots and save messages or emails.

2. Try not to show your true feelings. While we know it’s no fun to hear others talk about you in a disparaging way, it’s important to not “give in” or react to the claims. In the heat of the moment, it’s easy to say things you don’t mean and that may lend themselves to exactly what claim is being said about you. Remember, anything you say in court can (and likely will) be used against you.

3. The law is on your side. Remember, it’s not a short game—but a long one. The beauty of having your case heard in court is that the truth will prevail—and when someone is making false accusations against you, they will eventually be found out and evidence presented against them.

4. Get expert legal help. You need someone standing next to you who can advocate for your best interests—as well as the best interests of your children who may be involved in the divorce or custody problem. An expert attorney also has experience in handling false accusations and can help you remain calm during a court case.

We Can Help

If you’re facing false accusations or suspect you need the expertise of an experienced Michigan attorney at your side in an upcoming court case, we’d love to be here for you. Contact our law firm today to learn more and schedule your free, no obligation consultation.

We look forward to helping you in whatever way we can.