Family Law Attorney in Elk Rapids, MI
The stakes in cases involving family law matters like divorce and child custody are always high. It is crucial to have an experienced Elk Rapids family lawyer on your side to protect your best interests. At Alward Fisher, our attorneys have over 100 years of combined experience helping families throughout Northern Michigan find solutions to emotionally charged legal issues.
Contact us today for a confidential consultation with a trusted Elk Rapids family law attorney.
How Our Elk Rapids Family Lawyers Can Help You
An Elk Rapids family law attorney from Alward Fisher can help you with a wide range of matters involving:
- Divorce — The decision to end a marriage is a difficult one, and you shouldn’t try to go through the process on your own. An Elk Rapids divorce lawyer can help you retain your fair share of marital property, assist with spousal support or child support issues, protect your child custody and visitation rights, and help you work outside the court system if possible.
- Child custody and parenting time — If you have children under 18 and are going through a divorce or separation, you’ll want to protect your custody and visitation rights. A seasoned family law attorney will work to secure an arrangement that best meets the needs of your children.
- Child support — In many divorces, one of the most contentious issues is that of child support. An Elk Rapids family lawyer can help by crafting the original child support arrangement, enforcing its terms, and even making future modifications as necessary.
- Alimony, spousal support, and maintenance — Alimony, spousal support, and maintenance are all interchangeable terms for money one former spouse pays to the other after a divorce. Not all divorces end with one spouse paying alimony, and alimony is rarely permanent. But when alimony is necessary, it’s important to find an arrangement that meets both former spouses’ needs and ability to pay.
- Property distribution — One of the most important steps in divorce proceedings is the division of shared marital property. This includes the marital home, other real estate, retirement accounts, insurance policies, jewelry and other valuables, and vehicles. Michigan is an “equitable distribution” state, which means shared property must be divided fairly though not necessarily 50/50. A lawyer can help you keep your fair share of your marital assets.
- Modifications of divorce terms — What may have seemed fair or reasonable when you first signed the divorce papers may not be quite so fair or reasonable five or 10 years down the line. If you believe that life changes have made the terms of your divorce outdated, a family law attorney in Elk Rapids can help you file a motion to have them modified to reflect the current reality.
- Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements — Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements can be useful legal tools for anyone preparing to tie the knot. But these agreements have to be drafted carefully, or they may be invalid. Postnuptial agreements can be especially challenging, so be sure to get help from an attorney if you and your spouse are considering such an agreement.
- Adoption — Growing your family through adoption can be a joyful but complex process. A Michigan family law attorney can walk you through what to expect and your options.
- Domestic violence — If you or your children are being abused by your spouse, you need legal protection right away. A Michigan family law attorney can help you file an emergency court order to protect you and your children, as well as initiate divorce proceedings if you are ready.
- Mothers’ rights — All things being equal, mothers and fathers have the same rights under Michigan law. If a mother is capable of caring for a child, she should have the same opportunity for custody and visitation as the child’s father. If you’re the mother of a child and you believe your parental or custody rights have been trampled on or threatened, a lawyer can help you fight to restore justice.
- Paternity petitions — Under Michigan law, paternity comes with certain responsibilities as well as certain rights. An experienced family law attorney can help, whether you are interested in establishing your rights as a father or in making sure the father of your child meets their obligations.
- Grandparents’ rights — Under certain circumstances, grandparents can assume custody and parenting responsibilities for young children. This may happen if both parents die suddenly or if one or both parents is found to be unfit to raise a child. In circumstances like these, a family law attorney can help grandparents seek custody of their grandchildren to provide a safe environment in which to raise the kids.
- Unbundled legal services — To provide clients with the legal help they need while keeping expenses to a minimum, the family law attorneys at Alward Fisher offer “unbundled” legal services. We can help you craft a plan that allows you to handle the parts of your case that you are comfortable with, while our attorneys step in to help with the more complex aspects. This approach can be a more affordable alternative to hiring a lawyer to handle your case in its entirety.
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At Alward Fisher, we provide more than savvy legal representation. We provide peace of mind. Peace of mind for your business. Peace of mind for your family. And the peace of mind for your future. No matter what types of legal challenges you are facing, we can help you find solutions.