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Family Transition Plan
By:
Lady4Justice PLLC
Timely Solutions In A Challenging Economy   At LADY4JUSTICE, we are doing our part to keep Michigan moving toward economic recovery by providing cost-effective solutions that work....
How to Tell the Kids You're Getting Divorced
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock
  One of the hardest things a couple faces when getting divorced is, "How do we tell the kids?"  The following is an excerpt from Rosalind Sedacca, CCT, author of the ebook,How...
Estate Planning After Divorce
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock
  Divorce brings changes in every area of your life, including how you want your assets distributed after your death. To make sure all bases are covered, you should review your estate plan or...
National Child Support Enforcement Program
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock
  Background The timely receipt of child support is critical for millions of Michigan families. The nation's Child Support Enforcement Program (CSE) is a federal/state/local partnership...
Michigan Child Support Guidelines
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock
  Children are legally entitled to support from their natural parents or adoptive parents. The amount that a parent pays or receives varies from state to state. Support is determined by income...
What is considered "separate property" in a Michigan divorce?
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock
  In any divorce action that goes to trial, the court must divide marital property between the parties.  To do so, it must first determine what property is marital and what property is...
How is child support calculated in Michigan?
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock
  Michigan has Child Support Guidelines which consider both parent's incomes, the number of children involved, and various custodial arrangements, such as "primary custody" and...
The Best Interest Factors in Child Custody
By:
Mark Sherbow
  What is in the "best interests of the child?" The Child Custody Act provides that custody of a child is to be determined by the "best interests of the child" standard...
The Seven Rules of Alimony Deduction
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock
  Sometimes the IRS allows a deduction for alimony payments. It is granted in part because the recipient is taxed on alimony. The two parties end up paying less in taxes overall because the...
Divorce Recovery – A Time to Reinvent
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock (Michigan Divorce Lawyer)
“It’s never too late to be what you might have been.”  George Bernard Shaw Step One:  Regroup So your Judgment was signed, and you are officially divorced.  Now...
Self-Defense: 5 Ways to Block a Bogus PPO
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock
Bruce Lee once said that good footwork can beat any kick or punch.  He called it “winning the war without firing a shot.”  This is good advice for most situations, but...
The Dirty Trick Bad Moms Use to Cheat Their Children Out Of A Father
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock
In days long past, women were legally the property of their husbands, along with the children and all property in the marriage.  Nothing was done to protect women or children against beatings,...
Life Planning Suite
By:
Lady4Justice
LADY4JUSTICE Presents Life Planning Suite™ Documents To Secure the Quality of Your Life Nothing is more important to us than our home life and the people we love. Yet Michigan couples in...
No Parent Left Behind
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE BIRTH OF YOUR BABY! There is nothing quite like the moment when your first child is born.  You gaze with awe at this little being; so perfect, so fragile, so helpless...
Annulments
What is the basis for obtaining an annulment in Michigan? The law requires sufficient evidence to show that one of the parties doubted or denied the validity of the marriage. The legal test for...
Is Collaborative Divorce Right For You?
To find out if you should pursue a collaborative divorce rather than the traditional adversarial route, ask yourself these questions: Would you rather move on with your life than prove your...
Collaborative Law Spreading Like Virus
By:
Debra Bruce, JD, PCC
It's growing and it's infectious. Could we be experiencing an epidemic of civility and candor among our fellow lawyers? Collaborative Law, once contained to the family law sector, may be...
Medical Power of Attorney
Put the power in your hands The tragic dilemma of Terri Schiavo, the Florida woman in a vegetative state for 15 years, could have been avoided with one simple document. Every state has laws that...
What Is A Collaborative Law Divorce Coach?
In Collaborative Law the focus is on creating a win-win solution for the parties. Such a strong focus on meeting the needs of each person requires a great deal of work and of working together. Each...
Living Together Contracts
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock
Not many people look forward to the day when they will die. In fact, planning for it seems to arouse a superstition in some that it will hasten the event. But the truth is, it's crucial for lesbians...
Estate Planning for Same-Sex Couples
When preparing for death or a possible medical crisis, it is important to consider what will happen to your property after you die. Lawyers call this "estate planning," and it's especially important...
Do Not Resuscitate Orders
1. The person who intends to sign the Order (the declarant) must meet the statutory requirements: An individual must be at least 18 years old and of sound mind to execute a Do Not Resuscitate Order...
Gratitude For Things Lost And Found
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock
Trust that everything is working out for your good. "Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward...
How to Fail Your Way to Success
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock
Are you mired in the muck of life? Do you feel that it's hopeless? You've made too many mistakes. You've fallen flat on your face again. You feel like people are laughing at you, and saying you'll...
Indestructible
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock
Sometimes at the end of a day I start feeling sorry for myself. My kids are arguing with me, I have more things on my "to do" list than is humanly possible to finish, I am stuck in traffic at the...
Irresistible You!
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock
Did you ever sit in class as a child, looking out the window and daydreaming about travel to faraway places, or perhaps the softball game you'd be in that afternoon? The teacher probably scolded you...
Live and Let Go
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock
Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now, says, "I have lived with several zen masters...all of them cats." I too am blessed to live with such masters; in fact, I am possessed of three. One, a...
Not Hocus Pocus - Just Change Your Focus!
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock
I stared as the two young men came into the restaurant. One was bald around the sides, with a thick black greasy mop of hair on top, tipped off by two brilliant red ends, which hung in his eyes. "...
Parenting Young Women in Today's World
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock
My Daughter, My Self "Unlike the mother-son relationship, a daughter's relationship with her mother is something akin to bungee diving. She can stake her claim in the outside world in what looks...
The Courage To Be You
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock
When I started to practice law there was a criminal lawyer who stood out. While the rest came dressed in "uniform" (suit, shirt, and tie), he would show up for jury trials dressed in blue jeans! And...
The Gift
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock
My daughter Alexis, like many young people, has tattoos. One of them is a small one on her wrist that says simply "The Gift". She tells me she did this to remind herself of her gift for writing. A...
The Power Of One
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock
Have you ever felt disturbed at the atrocities depicted on the news or fearful about the economy or powerless within your own family? Of course you have. We all have. It's common to feel helpless...
We Do It All For You
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock
Do you remember the McDonald's ad campaign "At McDonald's, we do it all for you"? Sometimes I think that's our slogan as parents. Ever wish you could do more for your children? Maybe it's a...
Finding Experienced Michigan Divorce Lawyers in a Time of Economic Difficulty
Divorce is a difficult choice for a married couple in any circumstance, but in the current economic landscape the challenges of this decision have been further compounded. Divorce requires...
Gift in Strange Wrapping
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock
Once upon a time there was a princess who'd done lots of spiritual work. She'd cleaned her chakras, healed her life, and had the courage to live her dreams. One day she met a prince, whom she came...
Getting Out Of Your Own Way
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock
I used to teach Love Yourself, Heal Your Life workshops, inspired by Louise L. Hay. I made several dear friends in those classes. One evening, one of them, Jane, came to my house to lead three of us...
Bingham Farms Divorce Attorneys Provide Personalized Support
There may be times when married couples in Bingham Farms, Michigan, do not have any other option but to end their union. In this present day and age, the reality of divorce cannot be ignored. A...
Important Facts Regarding Alimony in Michigan
Troubled marriages often end in divorce. There are many couples who may be in dysfunctional relationships and want a way out. This is as true in Michigan as it is in many other parts of the world....
An Affair Is No Way to End A Marriage
By:
Gary Direnfeld, MSW, RSW
Marriage can be a struggle for so many reasons. Struggles may be as simple as; immaturity of one or both partners; financial pressures; caring for aging parents; sexual boredom; care of children;...
Michigan Divorce Attorney
Providing Legal Support For Divorcing Couples in Michigan Divorce is a difficult and emotionally taxing process. In order to deal with the complex legal aspects of divorce, individuals often hire...
A New Vision for Divorce - Collaborative Law
By:
Janice Tracht, MSW, ACSW, BCD (Child Specialist)
Families going through the trials and transitions of a divorce often have this process complicated by the adversarial legal system. Many of our efforts as mental health professionals to help these...
Getting the Picture
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock
"It is hard to see the picture when you're inside the frame." A friend once told me her method for losing the "blues": "Look at your life as a picture frame. If you are the only one in the frame,...
Philosophy of Collaborative Practice
There's something everyone should agree on: Respect It is simply a fact that about half of all marriages end in divorce, and countless non-marital relationships fail, too. But the emotional...
A Time For Planting
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock
"To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under Heaven," the Old Testament tells us. Seasons change as the leaves in autumn, turning yellow, red, and gold, then falling, only to...
A Body Valentine
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock
Love Yourself Every Day of the Year "Young. Old. Just Words." ~George Burns Most of the time, my birthday pretty much just comes and goes without fanfare. As my 50th rolled around, I noticed...
Full-Out Flying!
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock
Did you ever wonder why you work so hard to get ahead, just to fall back to square one? You're not alone. Studies show that even most lottery winners end up where they started, regardless of how...
How To Do It Anyway When You Feel The Fear
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock
I've always loved the title of Susan Jeffers' book, Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway. As someone who, like most people, is often troubled by fear, I loved the powerful message in those words. But how...
The Tao of Love
By:
Mindy Hitchcock (Michigan Divorce Lawyer)
Honoring Individual Differences The word "tao" is an eastern word meaning "way." Often used in relation to martial arts, it applies as well to the ways of love. And, like the most effective...
Live Out Loud!
By:
Mindy Hitchcock (Michigan Divorce Lawyer)
The other day I stood in my bedroom, pondering a new marketing approach I tried for my business. Far different than anything I've done before, and I had no idea if it would work. I put a lot on the...
Court Ruling in Vermont Same-Sex Child Custody Case
By:
Jeffery M. Leving and Glenn Sacks
In a highly-publicized new decision, a Virginia appeals court ruled Tuesday in favor of a lesbian social/non-biological mother in her custody battle against her child's biological mother. The...
Divorce is NOT A Four Letter Word!
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock (Michigan Divorce Lawyer)
"What you send out comes back. What you believe about yourself becomes true for you." These two concepts will have more to do with how your divorce affects you than anything else that...
Why Dads Matter
By:
Mike McCormick and Glenn Sacks
A wealth of research confirms that fathers play a unique and important role in their children's lives. Nevertheless, powerful forces in our society try to marginalize fathers. Unfortunately,...
Sibling Issues When One Has Special Needs
By:
Gary Direnfeld, MSW, RSW
Am I My Brother's Keeper? Rivalry between siblings is commonplace. Siblings vie for parental attention as well as access to family resources such as the television, computer, telephone and so...
Parental Separation: Who Do You See?
By:
Gary Direnfeld, MSW, RSW
There is a dynamic that naturally evolves when parents only see lawyers to determine their ongoing relationship to children, post separation or divorce. Regardless of the disposition of the lawyer,...
Children and Parents Adjust to Separation
By:
Gary Direnfeld, MSW, RSW
You haven't separated physically yet, but the ink is dry on your parenting plan agreement and you are ready to go your separate ways. Now reality bites! As parents experience their first days...
Impact of Domestic Violence Exposure
By:
Gary Direnfeld, MSW, RSW
One of the many problems for children exposed to domestic violence, is that for some, it comes to be included amongst their own interpersonal management strategies. Children exposed to domestic...
How Do You Rate Your Level of Conflict?
By:
Gary Direnfeld, MSW, RSW
When parents separate, they worry about the effect of their separation on the kids. Not only is there data to suggest that adults whose parents separated when they were children are at greater risk...
Go With The Flow
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock (Michigan Divorce Attorney)
Do you find your outlook changes with your age? I do. In youth, we learn. In age, we understand. Last year, I turned 50. It is a great age to be! I find that I have a very different view of what is...
The Importance of Fathering In The Family
By:
From the American Coalition for Fathers and Children
On June 16, 1995 President Clinton requested every agency of the Federal government to review its programs and policies with the purpose of strengthening the role of fathers in families. "...
From Destruction Comes Rebirth
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock (Michigan Divorce Lawyer)
The New Year is a time to take stock of what we have accomplished in our lives so far. It is also an opportunity to look with clear eyes at the relationships and activities in our lives that no...
Collaborative Divorce Michigan
There are many people who do not want to drag their personal problems to a court of law and would rather solve them amicably. In complex cases such as divorce, this is easier said than done. An...
Affairs Are About Anything But Love
By:
Gary Direnfeld, MSW, RSW
Participants present affairs as arising by chance and based upon love and mutual adoration. The relationship advances from flirtation to infatuation. This can happen quickly or over considerable...
Bingham Farms Divorce Attorney
The decision to file for divorce is not an easy one for any couple. Both parties have to face a lot of emotional turbulences and resolve many legal matters. An attorney can greatly reduce the stress...
Solving simple and complex divorce and family matters in Michigan
  Divorce is often an unavoidable reality of a broken marriage. There are many factors that can cause a marriage to fail, and in such a situation the couple may have no other option but...
Win-Win Divorce: An Oxymoron?
By:
Mindy Hitchcock (Michigan Divorce Lawyer)
When I'm dating I look at a guy and wonder, "Is this the man I want my children to spend their weekends with?" - Rita Rudner     Americans have become jaded on the subject...
The Art of Uncoupling
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock (Michigan Divorce Lawyer)
I have long felt that a closing ceremony was needed for divorcing couples. A sheaf of papers, signed by a judge, does not provide people with the closure they need to begin their new life. Like a...
Surviving Divorce With Your Sanity Intact
By:
Mindy Hitchcock (Michigan Divorce lawyer)
In my 26 years of practice as a Michigan divorce lawyer, I have seen many couples go through the divorce process. I know what does and doesn't facilitate healing and a rapid recovery from the...
Making Sense of the Senseless
By:
Mindy L. Hitchcock (Michigan Divorce Lawyer)
When we are suffering and trying to get through the pain of divorce, it is easy to wish that someone (like a new mate) would come along to "save" us. But I believe that struggle is the opportunity...
When Legal Separation is Better Than Divorce
By:
Peggy Williams (Based on California Law)
When you decide it's time to file for a divorce, tax consequences are probably the last thing on your mind. This makes it too easy for you to miss serving your Petition in time to get a final...
A Time To Be Tender
Divorce is as hard on your kids as you choose to make it "Divorces don't wreck children's lives - people do!" - Vicky Lansky Do you know someone who is getting a divorce or a...