Month: September 2018

Men and women in Detroit and surrounding Michigan communities have come to rely on me for personalized representation in a variety of family law matters including divorce, child custody and child support. I have spent more than 37 years helping clients find workable, enduring solutions to their legal issues.

PERSONALIZED SERVICE FOR YOUR FAMILY LAW NEEDS
Family law is all I do and I am committed to providing every client with the attention and quality representation they deserve from their lawyer. I intentionally maintain a low caseload so that I am able to be attentive to each case and to each client’s individual needs. From promptly responding to phone calls to standing by their side in court, my clients know I will always be there for them when they need me.

TAKING A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO DIFFICULT ISSUES
Resolving family law disputes in a non-adversarial manner allows each party to move forward feeling that a painful chapter in his or her life has been closed in an honorable way while limiting the strife that children are exposed to. I am committed to protecting the needs of children and seek to resolve disputes in a manner that serves their best interests while ensuring my clients are treated fairly by the legal system.

Most parents have every intention of paying the child support they have been ordered to pay as part of their divorce judgment. But a change in circumstances can result in the inability to pay or the inability to pay as much as before. Parents who have lost their job or encountered another significant change in circumstances have options for resolving the situation before enforcement actions become imminent.

Parents can file to modify child support if they are no longer able to pay the same amount of child support. If they have already fallen behind, they can seek to establish a repayment plan that will allow them to bring their payments current in an orderly, court-approved fashion. It is essential to file the proper court paperwork as soon as possible after a change of circumstances.

MOTIONS TO CANCEL ARREARS
In most cases, child support cannot be modified retroactively. Unfortunately, many parents find out much too late that they have the option of filing a motion to reduce child support when their circumstances change and find themselves far behind on payments and in trouble with the law.

If the other parent is willing to forego the resulting arrears, the court will approve the forgiveness of arrears. If the other parent is not cooperating, you may file a motion to cancel arrears if your arrears are owed to the state of Michigan for public assistance. If you are able to present a compelling explanation for why you have fallen behind you may be able to achieve a reduction or forgiveness of your arrears.