There is no such thing as a quickie divorce, at least not in Michigan. In this state, a divorce takes a minimum of 60 days to complete. If children are involved, a split takes a minimum of 180 days. Realistically, though, divorces can last a year or more. But who has the time or funds to wait 12 months for all the major decisions to be made? Thank goodness for interim orders.
Temporarily Address Major Divorce Issues Before Your Divorce is Final
You may not be able to make your divorce happen faster, but you can get speedy action when you ask the court for immediate attention to certain matters. Even if you’re OK with your divorce taking the normal amount of time to proceed, there are still some important decisions that need to be made in the meantime. Interim orders make all these details legal and binding, so you and your soon-to-be ex know where you stand and who has what responsibilities.
In short, interim orders – also known as temporary orders – are arguments that are heard and decided quickly in family court. These decisions are not permanent, but they put rules in place for couples to follow as their divorce is worked out. The matters that have the most urgency, are most often up for debate, and cannot always wait for the end of a divorce to be decided usually involve:
- Child custody: Your life can’t be on hold during your divorce, and neither can your kids’ lives. You want to prevent their schedules and habits from being altered too drastically in the upheaval already caused by your intention to divorce. An interim order can grant you child custody so you can maintain – or alter, as the case may be – your child’s schooling, activities, and living arrangements as soon as possible.
- Parenting time: Even though you and your spouse want nothing to do with each other anymore, that doesn’t mean you are divorcing your kids. Filing for an interim order for parenting time ensures that you get all the parenting time you want with your children and your ex can’t keep them from you. Remember: The court always acts in the best interests of the children.
- Spousal support: If you’re the lower-earning or non-earning spouse in a marriage, when a divorce has gotten underway, you can file for interim spousal support so you can maintain your standard of living, buy groceries, pay bills, and the like.
- Child support: The spouse who maintains primary custody of the children during a divorce can file for interim child support. A child’s needs cannot be forgotten during a split, and that includes food, clothes, medical care, schooling, activities, and more. Their standard of living should be maintained too.
- Property and assets: What’s mine is yours, what’s yours is mine? Nothing falls to the wayside in a divorce faster than this little saying. If you’re worried that your spouse is going to sell the car, the house, or other major assets, an interim order is your way of putting a lockdown on their financial plans, at least until you’ve had your say about how your assets are split.
Get Help with Interim Orders in a Michigan Divorce
Divorces don’t have to be lengthy, complicated, or painful. Some couples are determined to part amicably and know that if they work together and make concessions and compromise, their split will be over sooner rather than later. It isn’t always easy to part on good terms, but you can certainly try. Interim orders will help you maintain the peace while you work your way to a satisfactory divorce settlement.
Get help from an experienced Michigan divorce attorney at Michigan Divorce Help, PLLC. Schedule your free initial consultation today to ask all your divorce questions and determine what’s next.