Over 20 Years of Experience
Education & Organizations
Organizations
Member, State Bar of Michigan (2003 to present)
Member, Collaborative Divorce Professionals of West Michigan
Member, Collaborative Practice Institute of Michigan
Board Member, Michigan State Board of Accountancy (2012 to 2020)
Chairperson, Family Law Section - Grand Rapids Bar Association (2018)
Vice Chair, Family Law Section - Grand Rapids Bar Association (2017)
Secretary, Family Law Section - Grand Rapids Bar Association (2016)
Trustee, Family Law Section - Grand Rapids Bar Association (2014-2015)
Education
Juris Doctorate, Summa Cum Laude, Michigan State University - School of Law (2003), Law Review and King Scholar
Bachelor of Science, Biology, University of Arizona (1995)
Experience
Partner - Family Law, Homier Law, PLLC (2020-Present)
Attorney - Family Law, Thacker Sleight, PC (2019-2020)
Partner - Family Law, Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC (2013 to 2019)
Partner - Family Law, Varnum Law, LLP (2003 to 2013)
Securities Paralegal, Jackson National Life Insurance Company (1997-2001)
Articles & Resources
In Michigan, divorces involving children have a mandate six month waiting period before a Judgment can be entered. The time is measured from the date of filing, not when the opposing party answers.
Fall is here and the holidays will be upon us—Halloween and Christmas being my personal favorites.
Navigating co-parenting agreements, your ex, your children, and competing schedules can make even the most level headed person see red.
One’s divorce in Michigan should certainly force them to review a number of different aspects of their life. Yet in all of the emotion that accompanies the dissolution of a marriage, one’s estate plans may be the furthest thing from their minds.
It is not unusual to have a troubled relationship with an ex-spouse following a divorce. Still, you want to cooperate as best you can with your co-parent to raise your children going forward. Unfortunately, sometimes one parent may feel such anger towards the other that the agitated parent alienates the child from the other parent.
Not every Michigan divorce has to drain your bank account. If you and your ex are both willing, you may be able to work together one last time to end your marriage. If you are able to do so, you may also be able to save considerable money because of your willingness to cooperate.
Per U.S. News and World Report, you may be able to save more for your post-divorce life by opting for something called collaborative divorce. How does collaborative divorce work, and how does it have the potential to save you quite a bit of money?
As of June 26, 2015, Michigan’s laws have recognized same-sex marriages. Some couples, however, may have begun their relationships before the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court ruling. If two individuals obtained assets together before their marriage, however, a divorce may affect their rights to property division.
As noted by Deeds.com, two unmarried individuals, for example, may purchase real estate together as tenants in common or as joint tenants with the right of survivorship. Couples who obtain property as tenants in common may agree on one individual owning a larger percentage than the other individual.
When you have a child with someone in Michigan and your relationship ends, you need to figure out who maintains what responsibilities when it comes to your shared child moving forward. If both you and your child’s other parent wish to have an active role in the child’s life, you may need Michigan’s family court system to come up with a custody arrangement for your family.
Per the Michigan Legislature, family courts in the state refer to a specific set of factors when making decisions about child custody. You may wonder if your child’s own preferences make the cut. Ultimately, whether your child’s opinions about where to live carry much weight is going to depend on several variables.
If you are a divorced parent, you know that life changes quickly. Your original child support agreement may have worked well in the beginning. However, your child’s needs, and your own ability to meet them, are likely to change as they grow and you continue to navigate life’s daily challenges.
Whether you find yourself unable to make monthly payments or the payments you receive are no longer enough, you may be able to modify your support order by petitioning the court.
You have probably heard one or more horror stories about going through a divorce. Now that you see that your marriage is coming to an end, you fear that you will head for an acrimonious divorce of your own. But it does not have to be this way, especially if you and your spouse do not feel negatively towards each other.
There are alternatives to hashing out your divorce in court. You and your spouse may work things out in mediation. This method may benefit you not only because it is often less expensive than a court battle, but it may help you and your spouse avoid anger and stress that you do not currently feel.
A collaborative marriage dissolution typically begins with two spouses agreeing to negotiate a settlement on their own with the aid of their attorneys. As noted by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, by conducting the negotiation process out of court, divorcing couples may keep their personal and financial matters private.
A traditional divorce generally requires disclosing income and assets to the court. Rather than share those details in a courtroom setting, soon-to-be ex-spouses may maintain their privacy. Issues contributing to a breakup, for example, may stay out of the court’s database and not become part of a public record.