Michigan

MODIFY SUPPORT NOW

Posted on November 02, 2009
http://www.detnews.com/article/20091102/METRO/911020336/Michigan-child-support-pleas-flood-courtsGood article about South East Michigan's current economic status and its effects on child support.If your laid-off today file your motion to modify tomorrow...

THE LAW IS AN ASS!

Posted on September 30, 2009
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090929/ap_on_re_us/us_baby_sitter_backlash_michThis story is unbelievable but happens often with the Legislature tries to protect people but goes a step too far.What is even better is I heard a legislature on the radio telling the host that Ms...

NEW MALPO CLAIMS?

Posted on September 27, 2009

PRE-NUP A MUST!

Posted on August 09, 2009
http://www.freep.com/article/20090809/FEATURES14/908090337/1218/Features14/Poll--Most-would-marry-for-moneyAfter reading this article its clear that people need pre-nups they are not just for multi-millionaires anymore. Set your rights from the start...

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HELP COPING DURING DIVORCE

Posted on July 26, 2009
http://www.freep.com/article/20090726/FEATURES14/907260316/1218/FEATURES/Keep-divorce-issues-and-work-life-separateThe above is a great article for those who are having a difficult time with divorce and the sometimes long process. I would also suggest trying to exercise to deal with the stress on your health divorce can take...

JON AND KATE PLUS 8

Posted on May 26, 2009
http://www.divorce360.com/divorce-articles/cheating/causes/are-you-the-cheater.aspx?artid=923Interesting article about the circus that has become the reality show on TLC Jon and Kate Plus 8. Like all good things in life it appears marriage is something that men and women both must work on to keep it interesting and beneficial to each on an emotional and physical level...

DIVORCE WITHOUT THE NASTY

Posted on April 24, 2009
http://www.collaborativepracticemi.org/collaborative_advantages.phpThis is a great resource to explain what a collaborative divorce is and how it may be the right option for you. Less acrimony and more cooperation will help you get what is best for you and your children...

PLAN FOR THE END!

Posted on March 20, 2009
The big news this week was the tragic death of Natasha Richardson. Fortunately for her she had planned out how to deal with her condition if she became brain dead.Its never too early to plan for this with a health care power of attorney or a patient advocate...

A HOUSE DIVIDED IS A MUST TO SURVIVE

Posted on February 20, 2009
http://buzz.yahoo.com/article/1:y_featured:e0ae47d471fcedb0def1bc01c7beddbd;_ylt=AiJKmPaYYetQ6ZIqg0QYfdoazJV4Addressing my last post here is an ABCNews story and this could be the new answer to tough questions. The effects on the children may be need to addressed through counseling...

WORK THINGS OUT IN 2009

Posted on December 29, 2008
This article was recently in the Detroit Free Press and talks about the how the severe economy in South East Michigan is causing people to reconsider divorce.The realty of the situation is that divorce especially when children are involved you take one economic situation stretch it to the max and make two new situations...

NO EXCUSE FOR FALSE ABUSE

Posted on November 30, 2008
I came upon an interview with a gentlemen by the name of Dean Tong who was on the Frank Beckman show on WJR last week. The fill-in host spent the entire show talking about abuse.Mr. Tong was on his show and discussed what appears to be a troubling issue in domestic relations cases and that is false accusations of child abuse...

COLLABORATIVE DIVORCE ARTICLE

Posted on September 23, 2008
http://www.roanoke.com/editorials/wb/177716This article is great about a new way of divorce law that is sweeping South East Michigan and especially Washtenaw County.

PUTTING RELATIONSHIP BACK IN BUSINESS

Posted on September 19, 2008
Whether your business is 30 years old or you are starting today, you need two things a good accountant and a good attorney.When looking for people to help start and grow your business look for people who work hard, are honest, and won't nickle and dime you...

BUSINESS MAN'S BEST FRIENDS

Posted on July 31, 2008
A good accountant and a lawyer who understands your business and can help you use the law to your advantage.There are many struggling businesses in South East Michigan and one of them is the real estate industry. People are needing to do creative things with the inventory of unsold homes and foreclosures...

REAL ESTATE TITLE IS IMPORTANT

Posted on June 24, 2008
I saw this article in the Sunday Freep and thought I would post a link to it here:http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080622/BUSINESS04/806220540/1017The concepts discussed here are important to think about and more importantly should be contemplated when you are engaged and purchase property with your fiancee...

ESTATE PLANNING FOR YOUNG ADULTS

Posted on June 04, 2008
I recently had a new client come to me with an interesting idea. I try to encourage all people to start planning and accessing their estate plans early in life. This client's son has just turned 18 and his heading off to college. The father wants to put into place a patient advocate for health care decisions because once your child turns 18 they are in control of there health care decisions...

DATING AFTER DIVORCE

Posted on April 03, 2008
Saw an interesting article in The Detroit News about newly single fathers and the issues when they start dating again.http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080402/LIFESTYLE06/804020413/1005/LIFESTYLECertainly also an issue for single Mothers...

OPPORTUNITY LOVES COMPANY

Posted on March 31, 2008
Interesting article about the Foreclosure Tour Bus. A couple of local Realtors Pat Teeley and Jeff Reiter are helping people make lemonade out of the many lemons on the market.http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080329/METRO/803290332Should be interesting the next 12-18 months to see what happens with the South East Michigan Home market and when it will start to rebound...

LANDLORD TENANT

Posted on March 26, 2008
I post today for all you Landlords out there. I encourage all of you to contact a lawyer and make sure when you have a new tenant that you follow the procedures under Michigan's Deposit Recovery Act.There are a certain amount of things you must do at the outset of the lease so that you can keep the deposit if you are not paid rent and or there is damage done to the property...

CONDO ARTICLE

Posted on February 12, 2008
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080210/BUSINESS04/802100522/1017Great article that discusses some things you should consider when you purchase a condominium. Make sure you understand what a condo is and the idea of community ownership...

GREAT ARTICLE ABOUT MARRIAGE AND FINANCES

Posted on January 29, 2008
http://biz.yahoo.com/ts/071024/10386111.html?.v=2&.pf=I found this article and thought it was great about finances and getting married. As a Family Law Attorney Finances is one of the biggest reasons that people get divorced. If you have assets you may want to consider a Pre-Nupital agreement...

SAVE ON YOUR LEGAL FEES

Posted on January 28, 2008
Right now South Eastern Michigan and the State as a whole is struggling. This is why when drafting a contract you may want to think about the terms and opportunities to terminate these contracts for economic reasons without breaching it.I preach that you need to develop a close inner circle of business advisers whether bankers, accountants, and or lawyers who can help protect yourself and your business...

NEW YEAR'S BUSINESS RESOLUTIONS

Posted on January 08, 2008
This is the year to take your business to the next level. We as business owners need to do a self-assessment and look where we were last year and where we want to go in '08.Right now South Eastern Michigan and the state as a whole is struggling. This is why especially when drafting a contract you want to be careful about the terms and opportunities to exit early some of these contracts...

DIVORCE BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Posted on December 03, 2007
This article is extremely interesting about the effects of divorce on our environment.news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20071203/sc_livescience/divorcesquandersearthsresourcesI think it is bit of a stretch but clearly divorce changes everything that stands in its way...

FORECLOSURE FIESTA

Posted on November 28, 2007
Every week there seems to be more and more news of the foreclosure crisis in Michigan. This week Free Press Sunday paper had 3 sections of Wayne County Notice of Foreclosure on Taxes. Some are making lemonade out of the lemons and using this crisis to make money or state a real estate business...

FOLLOW THROUGH ON POST SALE OF INTEREST

Posted on November 13, 2007
Unfortuantely I have another war story of someone who did not do their due diligence upon ending their business relationship.We represent a business man who operated Chinese restaurants. He owned a restaurant with a partner who bought him out of his share...

GRANDPARENTS' RIGHTS

Posted on October 19, 2007
This article lays out the law for Grandparent's in Michigan.http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200771017047Two fit parents can stop a Grandparent from visiting a child. The United States Supreme Court spoke on this issue several years back...

BEWARE OF CONTRACTORS

Posted on September 28, 2007
I caught tonight's 20/20 on ABC television and the subject was real estate. One segment was about hiring contractors for home improvements.There was a heartbreaking story of this family who paid over $31,000 in cash to a contractor and had no contract...

FORECLOSE THIS

Posted on September 25, 2007
This article in the Detroit News says it all.http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070918/BIZ03/709180350Michigan has an extremely tough economy right now. Coupled with the trickle down effect of the UAW strike people need to be careful and smart...

BECAREFULL WHO YOU TRUST

Posted on August 31, 2007
I have a client who had an extremely good and growing extremely fast small-business that needed some influx of capital. The client's accountant and business consultant proposed a complicated "scheme" where people would infuse capital to help the growth of the business and receive a percentage ownership...

DON"T IGNORE IMPORTANT MAIL

Posted on August 23, 2007
Please save yourself some aggravation and ultimately money and answer letters from courts and especially lawyers.I have a client who was going through some marital issues and him and his wife ignored letters from the Prosecuting Attorney and the other side ultimately exaggerated his income and he is paying almost 3 times what he should in child support...

REAL ESTATE OPP'S ABOUND

Posted on July 31, 2007
Several Michigan newspapers have had articles dealing with South East Michigan's high level of foreclosures. The truly great investors can fine a bull market anywhere and are taking advantage of the market too make money.If you are investor you need to get a good Accountant and have an Attorney you trust to help your businesses be successful and grow...

HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH BUSINESS ASSOCIATES

Posted on July 13, 2007
I recently got a call from a business woman who had entered into a lease of a salon that was too big for her business. Apparently she had a business associate who agreed to sub-lease the other half of the building.Well 2 months into the 3 year lease the business associate packed up and moved leaving her partner with too much space and not enough revenue to cover the lease...

PUT PEN TO PAPER

Posted on June 17, 2007
Please don't learn the hard way when dealing with contractors who do work on your home. If you make a change to the original contract have them put it on paper and sign it.Oral modifications of a contract will not hold up in court and you will be left without the work you expected...

CONSULT YOUR OWN COUNSEL

Posted on June 03, 2007
I am a big advocate for pre-nuptial agreements because I think it is important to thing of the end prior to the beginning. If you are faced with the notion of signing an agreement you should consult your own legal counsel.Not only do pre-nuptial agreements have consequences upon divorce but they also have consequences upon death of either party...

CONTRACT IS MAN'S BEST FRIEND

Posted on May 14, 2007
A good friend of mine does side jobs for different small business. He is a computer network engineer and sets up businesses IT systems. He had a client who was an extremely good client that he had done work for a long time. I told him months ago that I would draft a contract for him to use with this client...

CASH NOT ALWAYS YOUR FRIEND

Posted on April 19, 2007
Sometimes paying in cash is not always the best way. I have a client who as part of a Judgment of Divorce was to give an account to the other party. She was on the verge of Bankruptcy and my client gave her $5,000 in cash. The problem is that the now she is claiming that he never gave her the account as called for in the Judgment which is correct...

ARTICLE ABOUT PRE NUPS

Posted on March 11, 2007
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070311/BUSINESS07/703110699/1002/BUSINESSGreat article about the benefits of pre-nuptial agreements in Michigan. Unfortunately for many couples as shown by this article is the reluctance to agree up front...

LEARN FROM THE ANNA NICOLE CIRCUS!

Posted on March 03, 2007
I am sure that everyone is sick of the Anna Nicole fiasco and especially turned off by that WWF circus down in that Florida Probate Court.Do you and your family a favor, and seriously consider contacting a Probate and Estate Planning lawyer so that you can draft the proper documents to carry out your wishes...

ALTERNATIVE LIFESTYLE PLANNING

Posted on February 18, 2007
Some couples, because of the laws in Michigan dealing with Homosexuality, must hire an attorney to help them take care of their partners. Using a Will, Trust or Joint Tenancy you can get around the laws of Michigan and provide for your partner upon your death...

FILE YOUR MOTION TODAY

Posted on February 06, 2007
With the current economy in Michigan and the constant layoffs and downsizing it is important to remember Michigan's law against retroactive modification of support. In Michigan, if you file a motion to modify spousal or child support and you receive a reduction it only goes back to the date in which you filed your motion...

CHEATING IS A CRIME

Posted on January 19, 2007
http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070115/COL04/701150333I am sure that many people in Michigan couldn't believe it but this is true. There are many crimes still on the books that are far past their time. Ultimately especially in a civil manner don't depend on the court because you may regret it...

FOR SALE BY OWNER

Posted on January 02, 2007
A lot of people, especially with the tough real estate market in South East Michigan, are selling their homes on their own. It is a great way to save on the Realtor Fees. However you should contact a lawyer and have them look over the Purchase Agreement and even be present at the closing it may cost you$500-750 which is less than a Realtor, but it will help you avoid problems with the sale, with title, and other problems that pop up form time to time in real estate transactions...

SURROGACY IN MICHIGAN

Posted on December 21, 2006
Is it legal to be a surrogate mother in Michigan?Nope, the contract in fact is unenforceable as it is against public policy.Also it is a Crime to participate in this kind of arrangement.MCL 722.857 Surrogate parentage contract prohibited; surrogate parentage contract as felony; penalty...

MICHIGAN SMALL BUSINESSES

Posted on December 11, 2006
A couple of great articles discussing a new trend in South East Michigan of people taking buy outs from their current employers and using them to start new businesses.Two things anyone starting a business or a franchise is a good accountant and a good attorney...

EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS

Posted on December 03, 2006
As a Small Business owner you know the value of finding good talent and keeping that talent. One thing you need to watch out for especially in a company which is driven on sales, is your young hot shot talent using your trust against you.I have seen in the past where a top sales guy leaves the company either voluntarily or involuntarily only to start a brand new company...

TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY BUSINESS LAW

Posted on November 20, 2006
We live in an extremely exciting time for any new business or entrepreneur. The Internet has allowed any new company or even Mom and Pop store to gain access to a much bigger market.eBay, Google, Yahoo! and all the many other Internet Business Entities allow you to start a company and sell your product or service to a much bigger market than your traditional brick and mortar store...