Divorce is often a necessary component of a marriage, but it is one of the most difficult life experiences that any of us will have to endure.             Generally, people start a divorce with a great deal of anger and fear.  Those who have decided to end their marriages have taken a critical look at […]

            The state favors marriage, because this systematizes support for its citizens.  This article is written based on Michigan law, however, many states are similar. When you marry someone, the state grants you a license to do so.  This gives you certain privileges, such as tax savings, rights to inherit from your spouse, and rights […]

            Recently a client copied me on an email she had sent to her husband asking the husband to stop opening envelopes addressed solely to her, taking checks from the mail payable to her, endorsing them and depositing them in their account.  Their divorce had been filed more than 9 months ago.              Husband, who […]

            Whether the angry spouse is the one who filed or is being left, in a large proportion of cases, one spouse who may have been largely compliant to your wishes in the past, will resist your requests and become outright hostile.              This can be caused by them seeing […]

            Deductible spousal support has long been a way to divide family income and save taxes during and following a divorce.  The higher wage earner shifts the tax s/he pays on spousal support to the lower wage earner or non-working recipient.  The deductibility feature permits the higher wage earner to avoid paying taxes on the […]

In recent weeks, I have been pleasantly surprised to have my clients settle a number of very difficult cases in mediation, that had appeared insolvable.  What these cases had in common was very difficult issues pertaining to their children.  These divisive issues dominated the discussions between the attorneys and the clients, which frequently happened during […]

            As a divorce lawyer, I’ll be the first to admit that my services are expensive.  You may also be using the services of therapists and accountants, who also charge for their services.  What all these experts share is the wish to help you get through the stress of your divorce with as little wear […]

            Even before the recent spike in the value of Bitcoins, which caused the media to focus on this cryptocurrency, men’s rights groups have been advocating the use of Bitcoins to hide assets during a divorce.  Such groups claim that the courts are bias in favor of women and deprive […]

            At the beginning of a case, it’s difficult to know how much to communicate with your attorney and when.  Attorneys are expensive, so you want to use their services wisely.  Here are some tips.             If your attorney provided you with a “To Do” list, keep her informed of what you have accomplished and […]

This week, I encountered a disheartening case.   An elderly couple scheduled an appointment to review their estate planning documents.  Typically, these cases involve clients who have completed their estate plan years earlier and would like it reviewed to see if it needs updating.  But in this case, the couple had just completed an estate plan […]