The Divorce Attorney Journal

You and your spouse have decided to get a divorce. But the act of separating your lives is very different than the intention to do so. Maybe he wants to leave, maybe you want him to leave, maybe even your kids want you two to live apart already, but there are circumstances that prevent an actual separation from occurring. Here’s how to cope when the marital apron strings just refuse to be cut.  (more…)

You don’t need the calendar to roll over to a new year to have an excuse to start a new life. After all, a fresh existence is effectively being handed to you as soon as you sign your divorce papers. Everything is going to be different now – how you live, celebrate holidays, manage childcare, shop for groceries. The additions to the list will continue to surprise you as they arise. But plenty of your life is within your control, and how you choose to respond to life after divorce will make all the difference between coping well and falling to pieces.    (more…)

You know you’re splitting up. Your kids might already know you’re going to separate. The rest of your family is suspicious. But you haven’t broken the “we’re getting a divorce” news to anyone yet. Maybe you’re waiting for your eldest to graduate from high school. Or you’re waiting for the youngest to finish his sports season. Perhaps you just can’t afford to leave yet. Whatever situation you find yourself in, if you are spending the holidays with your still significant other, albeit reluctantly, begrudgingly, and awkwardly, you have to be prepared to navigate this toxic environment for the sake of your own sanity.  (more…)

“I want to be married by the time I’m 30” used to be a common phrase uttered by twenty-somethings. Turns out, it’s not such a bad goal to have after all, at least according to new analysis. Data collected by the National Survey of Family Growth found that people who marry past the age of 32 increase their odds of getting a divorce by 5 percent each year.  (more…)

Divorce can have your worry focused on the present and immediate future, but what about five years from now? Ten? Thirty? What will your finances look like when it’s time for your kids to go to college, get married, or – most especially – when it’s time for you to retire? Will you even be able to retire the way you always dreamed you would?  (more…)

You are not alone in your divorce journey. Millions have gone before you, and millions will come after you. While every divorce is unique, there are some universal truths that go relatively undiscussed and it can help to know these three truths while you’re divorcing so you make the right decisions for your future.  (more…)

For some people, the ability to check up on their former spouse’s new life is too tempting to ignore. They compulsively check Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, personal blogs, and any other social media where they might find out information about the once-love of their life. They may even stalk mutual (or once mutual) friends to see if a photo or clue about their ex pops up for them to obsess over. Sound familiar?  (more…)

Same-sex couples now have the legal right to marry nationwide, including in the state of Michigan. While this Supreme Court ruling comes with caveats depending on where a couple attempts to marry or who they wish to marry them, one fact remains: Just because same-sex couples can now legally marry, that doesn’t mean they’re going to stay married. Divorce is inevitable for many same-sex couples, just as in marriages between a man and a woman.  (more…)

You may consider your pet part of the family but, when it comes to divorce, pets are typically considered personal property and dealt with as such. It can be upsetting to think of your beloved animal being demoted to such a place, but in many courts’ eyes, creating a custody plan for a pet would be like trading a big-screen TV back and forth from week to week. The way it works out, one half of the couple is inevitably going to get less time with their once-shared pet, if they get any time at all. If you are the one who is lucky enough to keep your family pet in your divorce, your pet is going to need some TLC to adjust to the changes in your family.  (more…)

You’re divorced or preparing to divorce. Your child is preparing to go college. Money is inevitably on your mind. Your divorce will affect your child’s chances of receiving college financial aid, but whether your split works in your favor depends on many factors, including the school your child chooses, the type of financial aid forms that school requires, and who the custodial parent is.  (more…)