Summer parenting time, and requesting to change schools - Q: I may need legal help, my ex wife won't follow the court order

Q: My ex keeps changing the summer schedule on me, and now she is asking to change next year, for the school district our kids are enrolled in, what should I do? 

A:You really have two questions here, first on the summer parenting time, and the second is change of schools. 
First:
 If you have a court order that summarizes when and where parenting time should take place in the summer months, both of you have to follow it.

However, if you and she have had a verbal agreement, where each of you agrees to what to do with the kids in the summer, it might be hard to say "she's violating the order," since there is no specific times - in writing - that you can show she hasn't done.

Sad to  say, it would have been better to get everything settled in advance of when summer time came, but I understand that sometimes this is hard to do, since camps have waiting lists, day care has staff changes, etc., during the summer months. The best thing is to keep in communication with her, the camp, the day care, etc., as the summer is being planned -- that way no unpleasant surprises are waiting for anyone.

Second:
Change of schools is a whole different issue. Most parents who share custody of children share legal custody of the children. These are the decisions in a child's life such as: where to attend school, where and when to go to church (if you do attend church), medical care, and other issues where it is important for the parents to agree.

In other words, one parent typically can't unilaterally decide that the children will change schools. 

It could be that your judgment of divorce (or custody) states what school district the children are to attend. But if it  doesn't, you should get separate legal advice on this issue to see if you need a motion to help decide the proper school district.

There is a good bit of case law on this issue - so again - I suggest you have an attorney review your current orders, and facts to help you. 

How does child support get calculated? A Michigan family law primer

This article is intended to give a newcomer to Michigan courts some background information into child support. It is not intended as legal advice that is specific to a given situation. For more information, see the article "What is the Friend of the Court?"

Q: Who has a right to child support?
A: All children under age 18 (until they graduate from high school or are emancipated) have a right to child support from both parents. Both natural or adoptive parents have an obligation to give support, unless a court modifies or terminates the obligation, or the child becomes emancipated.

Generally, there is no obligation to support an unrelated child (however, the court may recognize an equitable parent.)

Q: When will a court order support? 
A: A court has the power, or "jurisdiction," to order support when it is deciding a divorce, child custody action, paternity, or other family law case where minor children are involved.

Q: How is child support calculated? 
A: The amount of support is calculated using the Michigan Child Support Formula (MCSF). The MCSF calculates a base support amount (that factors in things like ages of the children, income of the parties, child care expenses, medical expenses, and so on) that is adjusted for parenting time offsets.

 The court will consider the amount suggested by the MCSF and order support either based on the formula, or deviating from the formula when appropriate.

The child support formula manual can be found here. Also here. 
Link here to a child support calculator online. I can't testify as to how accurate it is.

Q: My spouse refuses to give me parenting time with the kids. Why should I keep paying support? 
A: Because if you stop paying support, you will eventually accrue arrears, and face a show cause hearing for non-payment.
Yes, each parent should follow what ever parenting time schedule they agreed to. But this doesn't mean a support obligation goes away when the schedule changes. After all, kids have to eat, see the dentist, etc., regardless of who is taking care of them.

Depending on where you are in your case, you could talk to FOC to change your support amount, or do a motion to modify parenting time (after hiring an attorney) to get some action on seeing your kids. But don't stop paying support until the ordered support amount changes.

Q: Is it possible for a court to not issue a support order where the case involves minor children?
A: No. Because a court has a case with children, it will issue a support order, period, because the Michigan statute says it must. Also, courts have to consider the best interests of the child, which include how the child is living which is related to the amount of support that is ordered.

Q: Can a court deviate from the MCSF's suggested support amount?
A: Yes. A court can deviate from the suggested support amount when application of the MCSF would be unjust or inappropriate. When it does deviate, it has to state in writing what the suggested support amount is, and the reasons why it deviated.

Reasons to deviate can include, but are not limited to:
A child has special needs;
one or both parents are minors;
one or both parents have varying amounts of irregular or bonus income;
and so on.

Q: When will my child support obligation end? Can it ever change?
A: A child support obligation will most often end when the child is no longer 18, or has graduated from high school.

A parent who seeks a change to what they are paying can request to FOC or the court to modify their amount, but only if that parent can show a considerable change in circumstances (such as a much better paying job, or a large change in parenting time amount). The requested change needs to be greater than a 10 percent change per month.

Q: I have questions about child support that aren't answered here. What should I do?
A: Go to Office of Child Support for more information, or send me a question on this blog.

Choosing a family law attorney, Part Two

In Part One, we discussed ways of getting information on attorneys. Part Two will talk about the initial phone contact with the potential lawyer's offices.

Frequently asked questions: 
1. Who answers the phone and how do they answer it? 
A: Many attorneys do not answer their own phones. His or her schedule won't permit it perhaps, or the attorney prefers to have a gate keeper between himself or herself and the general public. Either way, you are a potential paying client, so you should feel welcomed, and not that you're an intrusion on otherwise valuable time. It's possible that you will have to leave a voice mail. If so, make sure you state whether the attorney can call you back, or not.

2. What kinds of questions should I ask? What kinds of questions should I be ready to answer?
A: Be prepared with a list of questions about your specific situation. For example, "I am thinking about filing for divorce, and I have three minor children." Or: "My ex-girlfriend left the state with our child, can I start a custody hearing?" Be specific, as the attorney can only answer what they are aware of. Don't be afraid to ask about costs.

If you have a specific date coming up, make sure you mention that, or it may not be addressed. For example, "I just left a custody hearing this morning, and the judge said to come back for an evidentiary hearing . . . "

Remember, attorneys are smart, not psychic! And it's entirely possible that some of your questions will need more time before they can be answered. This is why there is no "one-size-fits-all" divorces.

On the other hand, try to answer any questions that are asked. My office has a list of questions used for when a potential new client calls, so that I am aware of what next steps need to be taken for that case. We will always ask where you live, how long you've been married, and the ages of the children.

3. Scheduling the initial appointment and other matters.
It's possible that you'll be scheduled for either a phone consultation, or an in-office consultation. I prefer in-office consultations. I feel that it's easier, less rushed than a phone call, and allows the potential client (and attorney) feel more at ease with one another.

Please consider where your attorney is located, your own location, and the courthouse you'll be using. If you plan on making your attorney drive long distances, that's fine, but that might impact your cost overall.

4. The appointment is scheduled, now what?
It's possible the attorney will mail you information to fill out, or have you fill it out in the consultation. This information will help them start your case, and give you some legal answers. Either way, keep your appointment, or call to reschedule it if necessary.

Set aside enough time to drive to the appointment, depending on the time of day.

Bring any necessary documents with you, for example, anything you've received from the court, or that you feel will help the attorney to serve you better.

5. How much should I expect to pay?
A: This is a difficult question to answer. Attorneys have rules of professional ethics to guide them in setting fees. (MRPC 1.5)  That said, a basic retainer could range from $850 to $5000, depending on the complexity of the legal issues involved, the experience of the attorney, and the novelty of the legal issues involved (more complex or unique issues can take longer to be addressed).  And, the retainer may or may not cover your entire cost of the case, depending on how long it takes, and the nature of the parties involved (who will argue more over issues, you or your soon-to-be-ex?) Also, additional experts may be needed, from child psychologists to business valuation experts, depending on your situation.

Coming Next: Part Three: What to Expect in the Initial Consultation.

How to choose a family law attorney, Part One

In Part One, we will help you work through the process of deciding who to call to start your divorce or custody case (or to represent you if your spouse has already filed for divorce).

Frequently asked questions:
1. Can't I represent myself in this? 
A: Yes, you can. But that doesn't mean you should. Going into court and representing yourself is like do-it-yourself surgery performed by an amateur. When it comes to family law, you have a lot of things at stake: ownership of your home, custody of your child(ren), how your personal property might be divided, when and how often you can spend time with your child(ren), are only a few issues that a family law judge will decide for you. It's best to have an attorney, who can present the best side of your case to the judge, and help you get the best result possible.

Read this article for more information on issues that will be part of your family law case, or go to my website. 

2. Aren't attorneys expensive? 
A: It depends on what you think of as "expensive." Again, this is the most important area of your life, where the most intimate personal decisions in your life have been made. It makes sense to protect these interests, and not doing so may cost you more in the long run. Many attorneys will let you arrange a payment plan, as well.

3. How do I decide who to call?
A: There are many ways to go about this. The internet is the most popular search tool currently. But that doesn't mean you should just pick one of the first-listed attorneys when you type in your search terms.
Fact: Advertisers pay to be listed on Google. This is true for all areas that can be searched on Google, including legal services. The higher-cost advertisers will land on the first page, at the more popular times of the day. It's like having a billboard in rush hour traffic on a busy highway. The lower-cost ads show up less often, and at less popular times of the day. This is like having a billboard in a urban neighborhood.

I recommend good old word of mouth advertising over internet advertising. It's better to get a recommendation from someone who's used that service before you, whether it's a mechanic, or an attorney.

4. Ok, I talked to three or four people and got a short list of who to call. What now? 
A: Once you've talked to people you know, you've gotten their feedback about what they liked (or didn't) about their attorney. Use the internet (or do a white pages search) to get that attorney's phone number. Then call the office to set up a consultation.

5. I'm too uncomfortable to talk to my friends and family about this now. How can I get a good recommendation?
A: There are other online services that "rank" attorneys. These are sites like Avvo, and Martindale Hubble, Lexis-Nexis, etc.

Fact: These sites are biased in favor of attorneys who play the game. For example, a lawyer who participates on Avvo (claims their profile, advertises, answers questions) will have a higher Avvo ranking than a lawyer who doesn't. For example, look at the ranking of a prominent national attorney (like Eric Holder, the current US Attorney General). Their ranking might be lower than some attorney who participates a lot on that site.

So go ahead and try those sites (Avvo, lawyers.com, etc.) but be warned that the information there isn't always an accurate reflection of what the attorney is actually like, so take it with a grain of salt. (For more information, read this article from About.com).

Or: if you think the sites might mislead you, or you feel you can't talk about this to people you know because it's too personal, use your local bar association for a referral. Lawyers pay to belong to this referral service, and give part of the fee you pay them back to the referral service. I participate in my local bar association's referral service, and think it's a great service to the public. (State Bar of Michigan referral, Grand Rapids Bar Association Referral).

Coming Next: Part Two: What to Expect in the Initial Phone Call.

Divorce information in Michigan - a brief overview of family law issues

What follows is a brief overview of issues in Family Law. For more information, contact me, or view my website, nancyballastlaw.com 

Divorce - Time Lines

The time you are waiting for your divorce to be final depends on several things. If you are married with minor children, the waiting time is at a minimum six months, as set by the state statute governing divorce. If you are married without minor children the waiting time can be less. This all depends on whether, as the deadline approaches, there are still issues to be settled between the spouses, such as property division, or spousal support.

Spousal Support

Spousal support (formerly called alimony) is not an automatic "given" in any marriage. The court decides whether to award spousal support, and for how long, depending on several factors. The factors include, but are not limited to: the ages of the parties, the abilities of the parties to work, the length of the marriage, and so on. It's also not a "given" that the man would pay spousal support to the woman, it could be reversed, depending on the situations of the parties.

Child Custody

It's possible that a couple can reach an agreement about child custody before they begin the divorce process. If that's the case, it makes things easier on all parties, and the children as well. But if the parties can't agree on custody, it will be decided by the court. The court takes into consideration the best interests of the child, and may decide that a joint custody arrangement is preferred to one where one party has "sole custody."

Child Support

All children have the right to a parent's financial support until the child is 18 or graduates high school. The amount of support a parent will pay is based on applying the Child Support Guidelines, with the amount of parenting time a parent has as a factor. Joint custody of children will not erase a parent's support obligation. Many factors go into calculating what child support obligations are.

Property

Property settlement is the area of divorce that divides all assets accumulated during or by reason of a marriage. Even if property is titled in one party's name, it may be considered as marital property. If a valid prenuptial (or antenuptial agreement) was entered, that will also be considered by the court.

Visitation

It is presumed that it is in the best interests of the child to have a relationship with both parents that continues during and beyond the divorce process. The court will arrange for visitation that supports a relationship with both parents - whether custodial or non-custodial. Often, parents can agree on a schedule for visitation, but if not, the court will arrange one for the parents. If one party seeks to restrict or limit the other party's visitation, the court will only order this based on clear and convincing evidence that visitation would be a danger to the child's physical, mental, or emotional health. This is because a child has an inherent right to love and affection from both parents, and neither parent should attempt to estrange children from the other parent. It's best not to involve the child in disputes between the parents that often occur during the divorce process.

Friend of the Court

Friend of the Court may be involved in your divorce, custody, or child support case. Friend of the Court is an arm of the court, and it issues recommendations on child support, custody, and visitation. It is also involved in enforcement of child support orders.