- DivorceIn recent decades, however, many forms of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) have emerged, including Collaborative Divorce. Collaborative Divorce recognizes that most divorces settle, and offers the parties the opportunity to have greater control and ownership of the outcome of their case.
- Child SupportOnce a complaint for Divorce, Separate Maintenance, Paternity or Support has been filed, the law requires that the Court determine what is the appropriate amount of child support to be paid by one party to the other. The Michigan Child Support Formula Manual has been determined by the Michigan Legislature and the Courts, to be the presumptive guide on which parent should be paying support to the other, and the amount. The Michigan Child Support Formula takes into consideration the parent’s respective incomes, the number of children, how parenting time is allocated between the two parents, health insurance costs for the children if paid by one parent or the other, certain tax considerations, and whether there are different custodial arrangements for different children.
- Child Custody and VisitationParenting time, sometimes called “visitation”, is the schedule that sets forth the time each parent spends with their child(ren). For every different kind of family situation there is a different kind of parenting time arrangement. In some cases, the order states that there shall be “reasonable parenting time”, which leaves the parenting time schedule to the parents to decide on a day to day basis. While there are situations where this is appropriate, specifically cases where the parties have unpredictable work schedules, and/or where the parties can easily cooperate and maintain open lines of communication with each other, our Plymouth, MI child custody attorneys feel that the majority of time, this can lead to unnecessary conflict and uncertainty.
- Paternity
- Spousal SupportSpousal support (sometimes referred to as alimony) is often one of the most controversial aspects of family law, because every situation is different. The duration, structure, amount, enforceability and modification can differ dramatically, which is why our attorneys take time to analyze the facts of each case, educate the client on the current state of the law, and ensure that irrespective of whether we represent the potential payor or payee of support, that the provisions for spousal support are fair.
- Legal SeparationWhile it is far less common than a divorce, on occasion, parties determine that they do not wish to get a divorce, but wish to establish separate households. People often refer to this as a “legal separation.” Although unusual, there are a number of reasons clients come to our office seeking separate maintenance. It may be that they have a religious objection to divorce or want to stay legally married so that both parties can continue health care coverage under one of their employer supplied health benefits plans. Note, if you are seeking separate maintenance so that both parties can continue health care coverage, you must check with the employer to confirm that benefits will still be available. Many employers consider “legal separation” an event terminating dependency status and eligibility for continued spousal benefits, including health insurance coverage.
- Child AbuseCarlo was a member of the Advisory Board of Legal Alternatives for Women, a community service project sponsored by the National Council of Jewish Women, providing the general public free legal and psychological information to victims of domestic violence, a board member of the Coalition on Domestic Violence, sponsored by the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), as well as a legal advisor to Dare to Care, a project to raise funds for the Michigan Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse. He was a legal consultant and featured speaker on the community service video “Latchkey Kids: Home Alone and Safe.” Carlo was also copublisher of the monthly publication “Metro Parent Magazine”. Having been divorced and remarried years ago, he is the proud parent of 2 adult sons and the step father of two adult daughters. Prior to becoming an attorney, over 35 years ago, Carlo served as an air intelligence operations specialist with the 191st Fighter Intelligence Group.
Services
"Fish and Chips" found in 1 dish