The end of a marriage is one of life’s most challenging transitions. Whether you’ve been married for two years or twenty, divorce can significantly affect your finances, your daily routine, and your children’s lives. At The Smith Law Offices, P.C., our Ann Arbor divorce attorneys are committed to providing compassionate, personalized legal representation that protects your rights and helps you move forward with confidence.
Our law firm’s Ann Arbor location makes it convenient for clients throughout Washtenaw County to meet with their lawyer in person. We believe face-to-face meetings create stronger attorney-client relationships and lead to better outcomes. When you work with our firm, you’ll always know who is handling your case, and you’ll have direct access to an experienced divorce lawyer who understands your goals. Contact us today for a free consultation with a member of our team.
Divorces generally fall into two categories: contested and uncontested. An uncontested divorce occurs when both spouses agree on all major issues, including how to divide property and debts, whether anyone will pay spousal support, and (if applicable) how to handle issues relating to shared children. These divorces tend to resolve faster and cost less because there’s no need for lengthy court battles.
A contested divorce happens when spouses disagree on one or more significant issues. These disagreements might involve who keeps the family home, what amount of spousal support is fair, or what custody arrangement serves the children’s best interests. Contested divorces require more court involvement and take longer to finalize.
Our law office handles both contested and uncontested divorces. Even in uncontested cases, having an attorney draft your divorce documents ensures everything complies with Michigan law and protects your interests. For contested divorces, our lawyers will advocate firmly for your rights while seeking cost-effective solutions whenever possible.
Michigan law requires a mandatory waiting period before a divorce can be finalized. For couples without minor children, the waiting period is 60 days from the date you file. For couples with minor children, the waiting period extends to six months. However, most divorces take longer than these minimum timeframes.
The actual length of your divorce depends on several factors. If you and your spouse agree on most issues, the process can conclude relatively quickly once the waiting period expires. If you have significant disagreements, your divorce might take a year or more to resolve. Complex financial situations, high-value assets, or contentious custody disputes can extend the timeline.
Ann Arbor’s diverse professional community includes many individuals with substantial assets and complex financial portfolios. University of Michigan administrators, medical professionals, business owners, and executives often face unique challenges during divorce. High-asset divorces typically involve:
Our attorneys have experience handling complex financial issues in divorce. We’ll develop strategies to protect your financial interests while pursuing a fair property division.
While we regularly handle high-asset cases, The Smith Law Offices, P.C., represents clients from all financial backgrounds. Most divorces don’t involve million-dollar estates or business valuations. Many of our clients are working professionals, teachers, tradespeople, and service industry workers who need affordable, effective legal representation.
We believe everyone deserves high-quality legal counsel during divorce, regardless of their financial situation. As a smaller law firm, we maintain low overhead costs, allowing us to offer competitive rates. We’re transparent about our fees from the start, and we work efficiently to control costs while still providing thorough representation.
During your free initial consultation, we’ll discuss our fee structure and help you understand the potential costs of your divorce based on your specific circumstances. We’ll also explain ways you can help manage costs by staying organized, communicating efficiently, and working cooperatively with your spouse when possible.
Michigan follows the principle of equitable distribution. This means courts divide marital property fairly, though not necessarily equally. Marital property includes most assets and debts acquired during the marriage, regardless of whose name appears on the title or account. Common assets that must be divided include:
Debts are also divided in a divorce. Determining which debts are marital and how to divide them fairly requires careful consideration.
Separate property—assets owned before marriage or received as gifts or inheritance—typically remains with the original owner. However, separate property can become marital property if it’s mixed with marital assets or if the other spouse contributed to its increase in value.
Spousal support (also called alimony) helps both spouses maintain a reasonable standard of living after divorce. Michigan courts consider multiple factors when deciding whether to award spousal support, including the length of the marriage, each spouse’s earning ability, the age and health of both parties, and the couple’s standard of living during the marriage.
Support can be temporary or permanent. Temporary support helps a lower-earning spouse during the divorce process or for a set period afterward while they gain education or job skills. Permanent support is less common but may be awarded in long marriages where one spouse has limited earning capacity.
Our law office will help you understand whether spousal support might be appropriate in your case. If you’re seeking support, we’ll present evidence supporting your need. If your spouse is requesting support from you, we’ll work to keep any award from being unfair or unreasonable.
Custody is one of the most important—and often contentious—parts of any divorce involving shared children. Michigan courts make decisions about custody based on a standard called the best interests of the child, which considers factors such as:
Custody involves both physical custody (where the child lives) and legal custody (who gets to make decisions about the child’s upbringing). Ann Arbor courts generally prefer arrangements where both parents share legal and physical custody, but will make exceptions when awarding full custody to a single parent is in the child’s best interests.
Related to child custody is child support. Michigan uses an income-based formula (called the Michigan Support Formula) to determine each parent’s financial obligations, which includes factors like each parent’s income and the number of nights the child spends with each parent. However, judges in Ann Arbor can deviate from this formula if doing so would better serve the interests of the child.
The Smith Law Offices, P.C., offers a free initial consultation to everyone considering divorce. This meeting gives you a chance to discuss your situation with an experienced lawyer. We’ll answer your questions honestly and help you decide on the best path forward. Contact us online or call our Ann Arbor divorce law firm to speak with a compassionate, skilled attorney.
