Family Law

Family Law

Sturgis Family Law Attorneys for Divorce, Custody, and Property Matters

If you’re going through a divorce, it’s important to have experienced legal counsel who will work vigorously in seeking the best results for you. We provide tenacious representation for our clients in seeking the objectives that are the most important for them as the outcome of divorce will have long-term consequences.

We Help You Take Control of Your Divorce

While a divorce has the potential to become contentious, once the legal boundaries are understood by both parties, acceptable settlements can often be achieved.  For instance, Michigan and Indiana law both presume that:

  • Property will be split 50/50
  • Both parents are fit for primary custody
  • Any child(ren) involved will benefit from significant parenting time by the non-custodial parent
  • Mothers should not be given a presumption that they should be entitled to custody solely by their gender.

These presumptions, however, do not apply in all cases.  When we learn about a client’s case we can advise of the positions that can be taken to achieve the best outcome.  For instance, an abusive or unfit parent may be precluded from primary custody, or even unsupervised parenting time (if it would pose a danger to the children involved).

It’s important to understand that Michigan and Indiana, divorce is “no fault”, and so courts do not “punish” the “responsible” spouse for causing the divorce (in other words, one spouse is not given custody or more property because the other spouse was unfaithful).

With years of experience in representing clients in a divorce, we are adept at developing and creating solutions to matters that often seem insurmountable.

In Most Cases, the Resolutions and Agreements Made by the Spouses Will be Better for Them than Court Decisions.

Leaving important decisions to a court (such as custody and parenting time) should be the last resort and only undertaken when all other reasonable resolution attempts have been unsuccessful.  The fact is that each of the spouses will be in a better position to make custody and parenting decisions around their work schedules and other matters than the court, who will not have a personal appreciation about these matters.  Unlike the spouses, the court will also not be personally affected by its decisions.

In some cases, however, trial will be necessary.  In these circumstances, our sole goal will be to work tirelessly to seek the full objectives of our clients.

Our Experience

Firm partner Joseph Haas represents clients in family law matters in both Michigan and Indiana. Joe strives to create a supportive and understanding relationship with his clients while paying special attention to the welfare of any children affected. Joe holds a Certificate of Completion in the area of family law issued by the Institute of Continuing Legal Education and the Family Law Section of the State of Michigan.  His areas of focus include prenuptial agreements, postnuptial agreements, divorce, child custody, visitation, and paternity issues.

If you need legal counsel for a divorce-related matter, please call us today to learn how we can help.


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