Bloomfield Hills Family Lawyer

Tucked into the heart of Oakland County, Bloomfield Hills is an area for families to thrive in neighborhoods such as Bloomfield Village. However, when legal issues arise between members of a family, emotions can escalate, and tensions can lead to intense conflict. Whether you live near Wing Lake or have children attending Cranbrook Academy, it is essential that you hire a trusted and compassionate Bloomfield Hills family lawyer to protect your rights.

Not far away in Washtenaw County, Michigan, families enjoy richly diverse schools and neighborhoods, such as the Old West Side, Burns Park, Barton Hills, and Pittsfield Township. Whether your child attends PiHi (Pioneer High School), Community, or Greenhills, your Ann Arbor-based attorneys are knowledgeable about your lifestyle, expectations, and legal needs. We are here to help you navigate the new normal that comes after separating one untenably unhappy home into two much less stressful and productive homes.

Trust the Team at Nichols, Sacks, Slank, Sendelbach, Buiteweg & Solomon, P.C.

For countless years, the team of family law attorneys at Nichols, Sacks, Slank, Sendelbach, Buiteweg & Solomon, P.C., has pioneered alternative dispute resolutions such as divorce mediation or collaborative practice in a wide range of family law matters.

We have earned a reputation for assisting our clients in achieving respectful and calm settlements, while we also have the skill and experience in a courtroom to advocate for your rights and interests if there is unavoidable impasse on issues. Rest assured, we have plenty of courtroom experience and will go to court when necessary, but our primary desire is to avoid courts and judges.

The attorneys at Nichols, Sacks, Slank, Sendelbach, Buiteweg & Solomon, P.C., are experienced in working at the Oakland County Circuit Court, located in Pontiac, where your family law case will likely be filed and finalized. We can represent you, assert your rights throughout your case, and make sure your future, along with that of your loved ones, is secure for generations to come.

Family Law Matters We Handle

At Nichols, Sacks, Slank, Sendelbach, Buiteweg & Solomon, P.C., we aptly navigate the potential multitude of complexities involved in a wide range of family law cases. When familial relations begin to break down, the emotional challenges that can present themselves are enough to overwhelm anyone. Our firm can offer the support and guidance you need. A Bloomfield Hills family attorney can assist with the following family law matters:

Divorce

Oakland County, which encompasses Bloomfield Hills, sees an annual divorce rate of around 3.7%. When you get married, the furthest thing from your mind is divorce. However, years later, divorce may become unexpectedly inevitable. Divorce is emotionally draining, no matter how amicable you and your spouse may be, and our firm can safeguard your interests.

When necessary, we consult with and rely on mental health professionals, neutral parties, coaches, therapists, and guardian ad litems for the family to use during a divorce.

Child Custody

One of the most stressful aspects of any Michigan divorce or separation is child custody. If you and your co-parent cannot reach an agreement regarding the physical and legal custody of your children, there are numerous types of neutral third-parties who can help. If even those efforts fail, in rare cases the family court judge will need to make this determination for you. When you hire a child custody lawyer, we can advocate for and assert your children’s and your parental rights.

Child Support

Michigan requires that both parents contribute to the financial support of their child, no matter their relationship status. Typically, in a custody case, the parent with more parenting time of the child or a smaller income can receive financial support from the other parent. Support orders are often based on many variables including the income levels of both parents and the unique needs of the child.

Property Division

In a Michigan divorce, marital property is divided using the rule of “equitable distribution.” This means all shared property will be divided fairly, but that may not necessarily be in a precisely 50/50 manner. And complications might arise if one spouse begins hiding assets from the other. Nearly 40% of couples admit to some kind of financial infidelity, such as trying to hide assets or minimize income during a divorce.

Spousal Support

While Michigan recognizes no-fault divorce, meaning you don’t have to prove any wrongdoing by your spouse to seek divorce, there are still cases where one spouse may be required to pay spousal support. Support is usually awarded to a lower-earning spouse depending on numerous different factors or variables. This allows them to maintain the standard of living they grew accustomed to during their marriage to the extent possible, without impoverishing the payer of spousal support.

FAQs

Q: How Much Does a Family Lawyer Cost in Michigan?

A: Estimating how much a family lawyer might cost in Michigan is impossible without first reviewing the specifics of your family law case. This is because every case is different, and a wide range of factors involved in these situations can affect the cost. These include the complexity and duration of your case, the level of animosity between you and your spouse, the willingness of your spouse’s attorney to problem-solve versus litigate, and the experience level of your attorney.

Q: What Do Michigan Courts Consider to Be in the Best Interest of the Child?

A: When parents cannot reach an agreement regarding the custody of their children, they will need to try using a parenting coordinator, co-parenting coach, parenting facilitator or in some cases a guardian ad litem to help them. If that fails, they will need to resort to having a family court judge in Michigan to make this determination for them. The judge will base their decision on a list of factors that they believe are in the best interests of the child. There are a multitude of parenting time and custody factors, just a few of which include the:

• The child’s home, school, and community environment
• Preference of the child if they are of sufficient age and maturity and have not been “coached” what to say about where they want to live
• Relationship the child shares with their parents and the reasons for that relationship
• Parents’ abilities to care for their children including ability to hire dependable day care and babysitters if work requires it

Q: What Is Considered a High-Asset Divorce in Ann Arbor or Bloomfield Hills?

A: In Michigan, a high-asset divorce is one in which the couple shares a high net worth, typically defined as holding at least $1 million or more in net assets. The couple might:

• Have or share business interests.
• Receive high compensation, royalties, or investment income from significant inheritances
• Have stock in their company
• Own multiple properties, including vacation homes or rental properties.
• Have substantial retirement accounts.
• Own certain luxury items, such as art, classic cars, or antiques.

Q: How Long Can a Divorce Take in Michigan?

A: How long a divorce might take in Michigan cannot be determined without first reviewing the specifics of your case. When no children are involved in the divorce and the couple can reach agreements regarding the issues of their divorce rather quickly, a divorce may take only a matter of a few months.

However, when a divorce is more complicated, meaning that children or high-value assets are involved, cases can take longer. Under Michigan law, a divorce without minor children may be finalized 60 days after the case is filed. With minor children, a waiting period of 6 months is required unless there are grounds to accelerate the case, but even then, the couple must wait at least 60 days after filing.

Hire a Family Lawyer Serving Washtenaw County or Oakland County Today

If you are facing a family law dispute in Oakland and Washtenaw County, you need to hire a family lawyer from Nichols, Sacks, Slank, Sendelbach, Buiteweg & Solomon, P.C. We understand how difficult this time is for you and your loved ones.

From Huntington Woods to Berkley, our team can provide the compassionate, competent, and trustworthy legal support you deserve.

Contact our offices today to schedule your initial and confidential consultation. We can explain more about the laws surrounding your case, explore your legal options, and strategize to protect what matters to you.