Family Law
“Family law” is an umbrella term that covers areas of the law that relate to family relationships. The first thing that comes to mind when most people hear the term “family law” is divorce. Divorce in families with children or without childre…
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Divorce
Just like every marriage and every family is different—so is every divorce. At Blume Law Group, we know you may need a different approach to divorce depending on whether or not your divorce is amicable; whether you have minor children with your spo…
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Divorce with Children
If you and your spouse have minor children together, your divorce will naturally be more complex than a divorce without children. On top of dividing assets, you will need to decide how each of you will spend time with your children, make decisions ab…
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Divorce without Children
Divorce is never easy, but if you and your spouse do not have any minor children then the process can at least be somewhat streamlined. Without having to focus on the needs of young children, you and your spouse can divide your property and unwind yo…
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Collaborative Divorce
In a successful marriage, the partners work together. Believe it or not, that can also be true in a successful divorce. “Successful divorce” may sound like an oxymoron. But when you and your spouse have decided your marriage can no longer work, s…
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Divorce Mediation
Any divorce attorney will tell you that it is usually better to settle your divorce rather than to try the case before a judge. When you reach settlement, you are in control of the terms of your divorce. Plus, settlement is almost always faster and l…
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Divorce Litigation
The vast majority of Michigan divorces—probably upwards of 95%—do not end in a trial. Most are settled, often through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) such as divorce mediation or Collaborative divorce. Settlement is usually preferable, as lo…
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Child Custody
Child custody can be one of the most difficult issues for parents with minor children who are divorcing, or never-married parents of young children. Understanding how child custody is viewed in Michigan, and knowing what to expect from a custody proc…
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Support
Parents have an obligation to provide for their minor children. When parents live in the same household, that support usually happens more or less automatically. When parents live in different households, such as when they separate, divorce, or were…
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Parenting Time
Michigan recognizes that in most cases it is important for a child to have a strong relationship with both parents. That is often easier when both parents live with the child. But when the parents don’t share a household because they are separated,…
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FOC (Referee Involvement and Investigations)
If you are involved in a Michigan custody case or a divorce with minor children, you can expect to deal with the Friend of the Court. The Friend of the Court (FOC) is an agency created by Michigan statute more than a century ago. It is part of the Fa…
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Paternity / Filiation
Paternity is the legal determination that a man is the father of a child, also known as establishing filiation. In Michigan, when a married woman is pregnant and gives birth, her husband is presumed to be the legal father of her child. If she is divo…
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Adoption
One of the most rewarding things family law attorneys get the opportunity to do is to help families come together through adoption. There are many different types of adoption, but all of them create an official, legal parent-child relationship. Somet…
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Guardian ad Litem and Lawyer Guardian ad Litem
When court proceedings involve children, Guardians ad litem (GAL) and Lawyer Guardians ad litem (L-GAL) may be involved. Though these names are similar, the roles they describe are different in many important respects. Attorney Sean Blume is qualifie…
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Probate & Estate Planning
Estate planning and probate are two sides of the same coin. You create an estate plan to make things easier for your family when you die, or in the event you become legally incapacitated. The Probate Court exists to help settle a decedent’s est…
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Guardianship & Conservatorships
When a person is not legally capable of making important decisions on their own behalf, someone else must do that for them. Legal incapacity can stem from a number of circumstances, all resulting in the need to protect a vulnerable person. Incapacity…
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Estate Planning
All Michigan adults, regardless of their accumulated assets, need an estate plan. You may think of an estate plan as something that distributes your assets after your death, but it does much more than that. A comprehensive estate plan also includes d…
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Probate Administration & Litigation
If you are faced with the prospect of settling the estate of a deceased family member, you have our sincere condolences. The weeks and months after losing a loved one are hard enough without having to navigate the often-complicated probate process. W…
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