By David R. Dawson | Published September 30, 2023 | Posted in Divorce | Tagged Tags: child custody, child's preference, Friend of the court |
How Can a Child’s Preference Affect a Custody Determination?
The overriding priority in a child custody determination is promoting the child’s best interests. In Michigan, judges consider multiple factors to evaluate what arrangement most effectively serves that purpose. One factor that may be taken into account is the child’s own preference for living with one parent or the other. However, there are limitations on Read More
Read MoreWhat Are the 10 Steps to a Michigan Divorce?
A divorce, like any type of court case, must follow certain procedures. Depending on whether the divorce is agreed to or contested, the process can be simple and quick or complex and protracted. If you’re planning to dissolve your marriage, you can make reasoned decisions based on having an understanding of what procedural steps lie Read More
Read MoreHow Does a Past History of Substance Abuse Affect Your Getting Custody of Your Child?
If you and your spouse cannot agree on a parenting arrangement, a judge will decide on child custody based on the best interests of the child. That includes determining with which parent the child will live most of the time. The decision will be based in part on your perceived fitness as a parent and Read More
Read MoreRelocating With Your Child After a Divorce: Understanding the 100-Mile Rule
After a divorce, you are finally ready to move on with your life. You have some freedom now that you did not have before, including the option of moving to a new home. If you have children with your former spouse and are subject to a child custody order, there are legal limits on how Read More
Read MoreHow Can You Enforce a Child Support Order?
Child support is one of the few issues that cannot be contested in a divorce. Awards of support are calculated according to a statutory formula that takes multiple factors into account, including the parents’ incomes and expenses, the number of children supported and the custody and parenting time arrangements. But child support disputes can and Read More
Read MorePet Custody: Who Keeps the Family Dog in a Divorce?
Deciding who gets to keep a beloved pet can be a very divisive issue in a divorce. As much as people treat pets like family member, Michigan law treats them as property. This means they are subject to the same laws that control division of other marital assets. However, courts have begun to consider noneconomic Read More
Read MoreMistakes That Can Hurt Your Chances for Child Custody
If you are going through a divorce in Michigan and there are children of the marriage, your behavior during the proceedings can have a pronounced impact on the court’s child custody decisions. Making a strong case for joint custody means showing affirmatively that such an arrangement will be in the child’s best interest. But you Read More
Read MoreWho Pays For a Child’s College Expenses if the Parents Have Divorced?
When determining child support to be paid following a divorce, one of the significant questions that arises is how a child’s college expenses will be covered. Under Michigan law, both parents must share in the financial support of their child, but child support terminates when a child reaches the age of 18 or completes high Read More
Read MoreCan Grandparents Be Granted Visitation Rights in Michigan?
Child custody and visitation usually are the concerns of divorced or separated parents, but sometimes other family members claim to have an interest in being part of a child’s upbringing. This occurs most frequently when grandparents feel their relationship with the child is being interrupted. In Michigan, parents generally have the right to deny grandparents’ Read More
Read MoreHow Does Divorce Affect Your Estate Planning?
Among the important but sometimes overlooked impacts of divorce are the changes that may need to be made in your estate planning. If you currently have a will, a trust or other planning documents in place, there are several steps you should take to review and revise them in order to account for your new Read More
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