Sterling Heights Family Law Attorney: Child Support & Custody Help
Founder and owner of FasTrack Divorce of Michigan, she is committed to helping clients in the Sterling Heights area with a wide range of divorce and family law matters, including child custody, child support, and spousal support.
Whether you are considering divorce, have already received divorce paperwork, or are in the midst of a contested or uncontested case, the FasTrack Divorce team of Michigan will help you complete the divorce process as quickly and painlessly as possible - without creating unnecessary drama or employing high-cost divorce tactics. This translates into lower fees and less drama between the parties, which is often better for the kids.
The FasTrack Method
Child Custody
In Michigan, child custody is determined by a judge who will award custody to the parent based on what the court believes is in the best interests of the child. Unless there is "clear and convincing" evidence that the best interests of the child are with the other parent, they will usually award custody to the one with whom the child has established a custodial environment. Depending on the judge's findings, you may be awarded either legal or physical custody of your child, or joint custody that allows both parents to equally contribute to their child's upbringing.
The judge will take the following into account when awarding custody:
- Love, affection, and other emotional ties existing between the parties and the child
- Ability and disposition of the parties to give the child love, guidance, and education
- Ability and disposition of parties to provide food, clothing, and medical care
- Length of time the child has lived in a stable, satisfactory environment
- Mental and physical health of the parties involved
- Homes, school, and community record of the child
Child Support
Child support is oftentimes the most contentious aspect of a divorce. The court will work to ensure the child is awarded the most time with the parent best able to provide for its physical and emotional needs. Michigan child support is based upon a formula known as the Michigan Child Support Formula Manual. FasTrack Divorce can help you understand what your obligations could be.
Factors used to determine how much child support to be paid includes:
- Mother's net income
- Father's net income
- Number of children the couple has Overnight parenting time of each parent
- Custody of other children
- Health care costs
- Child care costs for the minor children in the case
- Other support obligations
At FasTrack Divorce, we have prepared our legal services in such a way that they are designed to be effective in any type of divorce case. We advocate settling matters without the need for judicial intervention in order to keep your costs and time necessary to get divorced as low as possible. Of course, we understand that no two situations are the same, but we can work to ensure that you receive the best possible resolution for your unique case. Divorce can be overwhelming, but the fears that you have regarding your rights and financial situation could all potentially be resolved with the guidance of Attorney Mary-Anne Noonan and the FasTrack Divorce team.
Call us to discuss your situation and learn about all your options.
