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The financial implications of a divorce are very real. Perhaps you worry about how you can support yourself or your child following your split. Or, you may find yourself making monthly child support or spousal support (alimony) payments and worry how it will affect your finances. You need to work with a Kalamazoo child support attorney with the experience and skill to protect your interests.
Herbert Machnik Law Firm can help you. Our family law attorneys advocate for equitable child support and spousal support agreements for clients throughout southwest Michigan. We help you take an objective view to the financial disputes that are often clouded by emotion, stress and personal relationships. Our Southern Michigan family law firm has offices in Kalamazoo and Jackson to serve you.
Michigan has a guideline based on each parent’s monthly income that courts follow when issuing child support orders. However, judges also have leeway to consider additional factors such as health insurance, childcare costs, and the existing custody and parenting time arrangement.
If you and your ex-spouse or your child’s other parent wish to avoid a trial and retain more control over the outcome, you have the option of negotiating a child support or spousal support arrangement privately. At Herbert Machnik Law Firm, our team of Kalamazoo family law attorneys has experience in these methods as well as in traditional litigation, which gives us many strategies for helping you arrive at an equitable outcome.
Notably, Michigan does not have a calculator of defined guideline established for spousal support. Judges may consider criteria such as:
In all cases we handle, we enact a thorough cost-benefit analysis to help you weigh your options. Our business model includes keeping our services cost-effective to ease your financial stress.
Michigan uses a specific formula known as the Michigan Child Support Formula (MCSF). This guideline primarily looks at both parents’ monthly net incomes and the number of overnight visits the child spends with each parent. However, the court also considers health insurance premiums, childcare costs, and other educational or medical expenses.
Yes. While Michigan has standard guidelines, parents often have the option to negotiate child support or spousal support arrangements privately through mediation or collaborative law. Our Kalamazoo family law attorneys are experienced in both private negotiations and traditional litigation to help you reach an equitable outcome.
Unlike child support, Michigan does not have a rigid formula for spousal support. Judges instead look at the “equities” of the case, including:
Yes. In Michigan, child support can typically be modified if there has been a “substantial change in circumstances.” This could include a significant increase or decrease in income, a change in the child’s needs, or a shift in the parenting time schedule (overnights).
We understand that family law matters are financially stressful. Our firm enacts a thorough cost-benefit analysis for every case. We focus on keeping our services cost-effective and objective, helping you weigh whether the potential legal outcome justifies the expense of the pursuit.
Absolutely. In Michigan, the number of overnights each parent has is a major factor in the child support formula. Generally, as the number of overnights with the “non-custodial” parent increases, the amount of child support may decrease, though income levels remain a primary factor.