I was fascinated to read in a recent American Bar Association newsletter that a Los Angeles law firm (Quinn Emanuel) has opened a museum in LA known as the “Museum of Broken Relationships.” Is it just me or is there some irony to the fact that the museum occupies space that was previously a Frederick’s […]
On June 26, 2015, in the landmark decision of Obergefell v Hodges, the US Supreme Court legalized “gay” marriage as a protected right under the US Constitution. It seems that since the Obergefell decision, the war on LGBT – or, as many of us like to think of it, human rights – is alive and […]
One of the most common legal disputes in family court that occurs after entry of a divorce judgment relates to a child’s extra-curricular activities. Invariably, a divorce client will return to my practice with one or both of the following common complaints: (a) the other parent has violated the divorce judgment by enrolling the […]
A divorce is the dissolution of a legal relationship and, perhaps equally as important, the breaking of emotional bonds between the spouses. If you read my November 15, 2015 blog on do-it-yourself divorces, then you know there are precious few divorces that should go forward without the benefit of an attorney representing your interests. […]
Sometimes I think I am the only person in the world who does not use Facebook. Well, actually I do have a Facebook page for my law practice, but I do not have one for personal use. I do not post personal news or photos, nor do I check out the Facebook pages of my […]
children, custody, divorce, divorce attorney, divorce judgment, divorce settlement, Facebook, marital assets, marital home, marriageIt is not uncommon for me to receive phone calls or emails from people inquiring whether they really “need” an attorney for their divorce. They don’t own much and they agree about everything. Often a brief conversation reveals that there are property issues they do not know how to handle or children involved with various […]
Michigan is a pro-marriage state. Public policy favors marriage between domestic partners and our laws reflect that favoritism. Indeed, Michigan does not recognize what is referred to as “common law marriage.” Over my career as a family law lawyer, I have had many potential clients query me about their “rights” when dissolving their live-in relationship […]
common law marriage, equitable property division, meritricious relationshipHaving grown up during the era of civil rights protest for racial equality, I see alarming parallels to the current battle for same-sex marriage equality. And, just as the landmark US Supreme Court case of Brown v Board of Education, which mandated school integration, did not result in immediate and peaceful attaining of its goal, […]
I had a call from a potential client this past week, a mother who was very distraught because during his last week of summer parenting time, her ex-husband had taken their ten year old daughter for a haircut. He did not consult with the mother first, and she was furious about that. She called me […]
Parental Alienation is a term that family law professionals use to describe what happens when one parent attempts to sabotage the relationship between the children and the other parent. Wikipedia describes it as follows: “a group of behaviors that are damaging to children’s mental and emotional well-being, and can interfere with a relationship of a […]
