The Divorce Attorney Journal

Divorce is painful, difficult, and sometimes it can be very expensive. Household income is reduced, debt is split, investments go up in smoke. You can, however, always find a bright side to your Michigan divorce and your finances are one place where this unexpected discovery may just happen. (more…)

Every couple has that ongoing argument. One wants to go to a movie and the other wants to stay in and watch TV. One wants Chinese food and the other wants pizza. One person likes it warm in the house and the other wants the temperature to stay low. As it turns out, that hot-cold fight may be more indicative of marital problems than anyone realized and, at its heart, that argument could lead to a Michigan divorce. (more…)

You would be hard pressed to find any divorced person who, in the throes of their worst marital fights, didn’t feel like they were going to vomit, pass out, or have a heart attack or stroke. Even the most amicable of divorces can cause health problems to develop. The stress of separating two lives, handling the needs of children, negotiating financial matters, and starting over is difficult mentally and emotionally. But research has shown that the challenges of navigating a Michigan divorce are also physically taxing. (more…)

What’s yours is mine, what’s mine is yours? Divorcing couples who have a business together not only need to settle their personal financial situation, but also their professional one. If only one-half of a couple owns a business, protecting your interests in case of Michigan divorce is crucial. (more…)

Summer means relaxation, vacation, and family togetherness. But each of these areas is fraught with disaster when a marriage is already on the rocks. There are certain types of divorces that can come during or after summer, and there are some common reasons that catapult the Michigan divorce decision to the top of the to-do list. January may be known as “divorce month,” but August isn’t far behind. (more…)

Some people feel stuck, stranded, or sidelined after a Michigan divorce. Eventually, however, you will feel free – free from marital discord, unhappiness, stress, and loneliness. You may not be able to make the feeling of liberation speed up, but thinking positive is one way to get started. Might sound impossible now, but you will get there. (more…)

This video covers the main factors that come into play when a Michigan court is determining the amount of spousal support to be paid in a divorce case, which party will be responsible for the payments, and, most importantly, if support will be paid at all. Remember – spousal support is subjective. There is no right or wrong answer. But there are plenty of ingredients that go into making the final decision.

The length of the marriage, the ability of one or both parties to work, the age of both parties, state of health, standard of living, and fault are all considered important components in the matter of spousal support.  Macomb County lawyer Jacob Femminineo goes into detail about each of these elements and discusses their relevancy in divorce proceedings.

In today’s society, the majority of families have shifted from the “traditional” man goes to work and woman stays home to dual-income households. When these “modern” couples file for divorce, it’s only natural to expect that the ways and means surrounding child custody have changed with the times as well. Enter: joint custody.

Divorcing couples have made a push for joint custody rather than agreeing to one party having sole physical custody and the other having reasonable parenting time. There are caveats, however, to every arrangement. Jacob Femminineo, a lawyer in Macomb County, Michigan, explains in this video what joint custody really means, what’s involved in determining joint custody, and how parents can get creative about making their new family units work.

A separate maintenance agreement does exist in the state of Michigan, but it has a somewhat tricky definition. Not to be mistaken for a separation agreement or a legal separation, a separate maintenance agreement essentially means that a couple is getting a divorce… but they’re not really divorced.

Confusing, right? There are various reasons why couples select a separate maintenance agreement rather than legally getting a full divorce – it can often involve matters of health care or religion. But there are also some snags that couples can encounter when trying to benefit from a marriage union through a separate maintenance agreement. Allow Jacob Femminineo, a Macomb County attorney, explain how a divorce can take place in a separate maintenance agreement, but still leave a couple with a married status.

There is one phrase that divorce attorneys often hear from their clients: “I want a legal separation from my spouse.” Here’s the reality – there is no such thing as a legal separation in the state of Michigan. A married couple either lives together or, if they no longer want to be a pair, they choose to live apart – but there is no legal separation. Once the divorce process begins, legal documents and interim orders will come into play telling both parties where they (and their children, as the case may be) will take up residence. Once a divorce is in motion, even then there is no legal separation that occurs.

In this video, Macomb County lawyer Jacob Femminineo explains the reasons why legal separations don’t exist in Michigan and goes into detail about the differences between separation and abandonment.