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DO I REALLY NEED AN ATTORNEY FOR MY CHILD SUPPORT HEARING?
Many people think they should try to handle a child support hearing on their own. You might think “it’s easy right?” “They just look at both parent’s incomes, and come up with a number, right?”. It isn’t that simple. There are many things taken into account when child support is calculated and you may…
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Jail Calls in Domestic Abuse Cases: Are Your Children Affected?
For many people who are not familiar with domestic violence, they tend to assume that once the abuser has been arrested, the problem goes away. In truth, many abusers continue to dominate, manipulate and frighten their victims, even while they are behind bars, by way of the jail telephone. How is that possible, you ask?…
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Divorce: Your Chance For A New Future
Divorce is almost always thought about as a tragic event. A heartbreaking ending to a chapter in life that was supposed to be full of love. While it isn’t usually a “good thing” by the standard dictionary definition, it can certainly be a gateway to good things. What does that mean, you wonder? Well, in…
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Adoption in Michigan: What Are The Consent Laws? (Part 2)
In the previous article on adoption in Michigan, we opened the discussion about adoption consent laws. We talked about who is required by law to give their consent, the age at which the adopted child may consent to the adoption, and when parental consent isn’t needed. Moving on, here are four more things about consent…
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Adoption In Michigan: What Are The Consent Laws? (Part 1)
We had a number of people reach out with questions about adoption in response to our previous article on Michigan’s licensing requirements for adoptive and foster families. As such, we have decided to share with you some information about adoption in Michigan. Consent laws refer to the agreement made by a parent, or the person…
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Michigan’s Licensing Requirements for Fostering & Adoption?
The first thing to remember when considering fostering or adopting a child in Oakland County, is the fact that foster care is meant to be temporary, while adoption is meant to be permanent. Because of the temporary nature of fostering children, it isn’t recommended for a Michigan foster parent to expect to be able to…
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Pre-Marital Mediation in Oakland County: What You Need To Know
For most couples who are planning their weddings, there are lots of things to get excited about. Sampling cake flavors, selecting the location, and getting friends involved are usually aspects that most brides and grooms-to-be look forward to. Stressful? Definitely. But also lots of fun! Figuring out how to address the issue of a prenuptial…
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Are Kids With Divorced Parents More Likely to Get Divorced Themselves?
It is a commonly accepted “truth” that the children of divorced parents are more likely to get divorced themselves. After all, with rising divorce rates here in Michigan and all over the US, and the fact that children learn behaviors and lifestyles from their parents, this would seem an incontrovertible truth. As it turns out,…
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International Child Abduction: What You Need To Know in Michigan
In the previous article we talked about interstate child abduction, and what a Michigan parent should know about this subject. In this next segment we are going to go a little further afield, and discuss international child abduction. The Uniform Child Abduction Prevention Act, which was passed in Michigan on January 12, 2015, addresses the…
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Inter-state Child Abduction: What You Need To Know in Michigan
Let’s say that you and your spouse are getting divorced. Not an amicable divorce, but a highly contentious breakup that involves lots of finger pointing and angry name calling. Sounds stressful, right? Absolutely. However, the biggest issue isn’t the fact that you and your spouse can’t exchange three civil words. It’s the fact that the…
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Michigan Change of Domicile Law: Moving With Your Child After Divorce 2
In the previous article, we wrapped up the discussion on Michigan’s change of domicile laws by explaining what a parent would need to do if they are hoping to move beyond the state’s 100 mile threshold or move across state lines. Simply put, this would involve a “Lombardo motion” or gaining the permission of the…