Child and spousal support are complex issues that can create a great deal of confusion and resentment in divorce. To avoid putting yourself into a difficult financial situation, you need an attorney who knows the support guidelines and the requirements of the law.
At Corriveau Family Law in Northville, Michigan, our lawyers will ensure that rights and financial interests are protected in the areas such as child support, spousal support and marital property division.
Michigan Spousal Support Factors
A mother who spends years raising a family and not pursuing her own education or career should not have to pay a financial penalty in divorce. For this reason, Michigan courts may order spousal support (also known as alimony or spousal maintenance) while the divorce is in process and after.
Family court judges use factors such as age, health, financial need, ability to pay, fault, length of marriage and marital asset division in determining whether temporary and permanent alimony should be paid, how much it should be, and how long it should continue. Because there are not strict guidelines as there are for child support, it takes a particularly skilled and experienced attorney to make a strong argument in support of your position.
Michigan Child Support Guidelines
Child support in Michigan is determined by a formula that considers factors such as your income, your soon-to-be ex’s income, the number of children you support and your parenting time arrangement to determine how much child support you are entitled to receive or obligated to pay.
Job loss, promotion, health problems are all issues that can arise after a child or spousal support order has been entered. Our lawyers can advise you on when support orders can be modified and the guidelines used by the court in approving modifications.
Michigan Child Support Guideline Changes effective October 1, 2008
Effective October 1, 2008, the Friend of the Court Bureau, Family Services Division, State Court Administrative Office published Michigan Child Support Formula (MCSF).
Included in the list of major changes are:
- Additional to deviation factor
- Definition of income was simplified and modified
- Provision which considers additional children from other relationships.
- The elimination of abatements and shared economic formula
- Notification requirements
- Threshold for modification of support to 10%
In addition to these changes, an experienced Firm like Corriveau Family Law can help you identify other issues which often affect the amount of support ordered, such as:
- Inheritances and gifts.
- Deductions from income.
- Adjustments.
- Costs used to calculate support.
- Effects of parenting time.
- Deviation from formula.
Talk to an attorney at Our Firm
For a free initial consultation about child support or spousal maintenance with an attorney at our Northville firm, call 248-380-6801 or click here to fill out our contact form.