Family Law Attorney in Norton Shores

Legal disputes involving your family can have the highest stakes for your relationships and future. When dealing with a difficult family law matter, you deserve experienced, dedicated legal representation that can provide the support and advocacy you need. Let the team at Kraayeveld Family Law manage the legal process and fight for your interests.

For over 30 years, our peers and opposing counsel have known our determination and tenacity in the courtroom as we pursue the best outcome for our clients. We’re known throughout West Michigan for excellent client service, including individualized attention and responsive communication. Our attorneys and legal support staff are meticulous about our work and realistic about what you should expect in your family law matter.

When you have a family law problem, get the help you need to pursue a fair and favorable resolution that allows you and your family to move forward. Contact Kraayeveld Family Law to schedule an initial case evaluation. You’ll discover how a Norton Shores, MI, family lawyer can guide you through the legal process and advocate for your rights and interests.

Why You Need an Attorney for Your Norton Shores, MI, Family Law Case

When a legal dispute has put your rights and relationships with your family on the line, you can’t leave the outcome of the matter to chance. Having seasoned legal representation can help you pursue the best possible resolution to your case.

At Kraayeveld Family Law, our attorneys have dedicated their practice to providing zealous advocacy to clients facing challenging legal disputes with family members. We work tirelessly to provide top-notch legal counsel and guidance.

Let a family law attorney from our law firm advocate for your rights and interests by:

• Taking the time to sit down with you to discuss your legal options and understand your needs, goals, and concerns to develop a tailored case strategy
• Thoroughly investigating your claims to recover the evidence or testimony needed to build compelling arguments to support your case, including working with experts as needed
• Preparing you for what to expect during the legal process and advising you at each stage to help you make informed decisions
• Guiding you through settlement negotiations or mediation
• Advocating on your behalf in court if necessary to pursue a fair and favorable resolution to your family law matter

With more than three decades in family law, we at Kraayeveld Family Law understand how close to home the divorce process is. When your entire life is turned upside down, you may have many questions about how to proceed that need to be answered. That’s why our attorneys and legal support staff promptly respond when you contact us. With our one-business-day guarantee on your calls and emails, you will never have to wait longer than necessary for us.

What Are the More Common Family Law Matters?

At Kraayeveld Family Law, a Norton Shores, MI, family attorney can manage complex family law matters such as:

• Contested Divorce – A contested divorce occurs when spouses dispute one or more outstanding issues, such as property division, alimony, child custody, or child support. Our firm can help you pursue a favorable resolution to disputed issues, whether by advising you during negotiations or mediation or by advocating for your interests in court.
• Noncontested Divorce – A couple can pursue a noncontested divorce when they have resolved all outstanding issues, whether through a prenuptial agreement or a divorce settlement. Let us handle all the procedural issues and paperwork to take the stress of the legal process off your shoulders.
• Child Custody – Our firm understands that you will fight hard to preserve your relationship with your children. Let us help you secure a child custody arrangement that serves your and your children’s interests. We also represent clients facing other disputes related to child custody, such as paternity issues.
• Visitation – Our attorneys help clients resolve disputes over visitation and parenting time, including denials of court-ordered parenting time or pursuing conditions on a co-parent’s visitation, such as supervision by a trusted third party.
• Child Support – At Kraayeveld Family Law, we recognize that children deserve financial support from both parents. Our firm can help you resolve disputes over child support with your ex, including establishing support obligations and modifying orders due to changed circumstances.
• Parental Relocation – Our attorneys help separated parents who share custody resolve conflicts that may arise when one parent proposes to relocate a significant distance or out of Michigan, whether by themselves or with the couple’s children.
• School Choice – Our firm helps separated or divorced parents who share legal custody resolve disputes over their children’s education, including deciding between public and private schools and dividing educational and extracurricular expenses.
• Guardianship Litigation – When you have a minor family member whose parents cannot care for them due to personal or medical issues or death, our firm can guide your family through the guardianship process to ensure that a trusted family member can provide a child in your family with the care, support, and protection they deserve.
• Spousal Support – Our firm helps clients resolve disputes over alimony, including litigation over alimony during divorce, motions to modify or terminate alimony, and legal proceedings to enforce spousal support obligations or collect arrears.
• Grandparent Rights – We assist families facing disputes over grandparent custody or visitation rights, including during court proceedings for motions for grandparent visitation.
• Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements – Our lawyers can help you with prenuptial and postnuptial agreements at each stage of a marriage. These include negotiating prenups before marriage or advocating for your interests during divorce when you or your spouse seeks to enforce a prenup. These matters are common in high net worth marriages and later-in-life second marriages.
• Asset Division – Property division can lead to some of the most intense disputes and litigation in divorce. Our legal team can guide you through issues in asset division, such as categorizing marital and separate property, uncovering hidden assets, and determining a fair division of the marital estate.
• Parental Alienation – When your ex has attempted to alienate your children from you, whether by withholding custody or emotionally manipulating your children or when you are falsely accused of alienation, let us fight to protect your rights and your relationship with your children.
• Domestic Violence – Our firm advocates for the rights of clients in domestic violence cases, including in court proceedings for protective orders, motions to enforce orders, or motions to terminate.
• Annulment – In Michigan, spouses may seek annulment of their marriage in limited circumstances, including cases involving marriage obtained through duress or coercion, a spouse’s lack of capacity to consent to marriage, or bigamy.

If I Am Getting Divorced, Will My Spouse and I Each Need to Pay for an Attorney?

Divorce can quickly become an expensive process, especially when spouses have disputes over multiple issues. Couples who agree on all the outstanding issues in their divorce may try to avoid unnecessary expenses by sharing an attorney to help them draft a divorce settlement.

However, attorneys are prohibited from representing both spouses in a divorce due to the rules of conduct governing the legal profession. Even if you and your ex have an amicable relationship and can agree on the issues in your divorce, you’re both in an adversarial position. As such, an attorney would have a conflict of interest in representing both spouses.

Having separate counsel during divorce protects your rights and interests. You can rest assured that your lawyer will work hard to secure a fair divorce settlement that provides a favorable outcome for you.

What Are Family Law Matters That May Require an Appeal?

When the family court issues an adverse decision, you may have the option of filing an appeal. This does not mean you get to reargue your case before a different court and hope for a better outcome. Instead, an appeal requires you to prove that the family court made some legal or procedural error that influenced the case’s outcome.

Examples of situations that may necessitate an appeal of a family law case include the following:

• The court erroneously excludes or admits evidence
• The court denies a litigant due process by failing to provide sufficient opportunity for them to prepare or present their case
• The court overlooks or refuses to consider material evidence
• The court misapplies the law or applies the wrong legal standard or precedent
• The court misapplies procedural rules

Common family law matters that could prompt appeals include the following:

What Property/Asset Division Issues Often Arise in a High Net Worth Divorce in Michigan?

A high net worth divorce refers to a divorce between spouses who earn high incomes or own substantial or complex assets. Couples in high net worth divorces typically own high-value assets such as:

The unique financial circumstances of a high net worth divorce can lead to issues or disputes such as:

• Valuation of assets like real estate, stock options, or business ownership interests
• Resolving the division of value in non-divisible assets like ownership interests in closely held businesses whose governing agreements restrict the transfer or division of interests
• Concealment or fraudulent transfer of marital assets
• Classifying assets or growth in asset values as marital or separate property
• Establishing fair and reasonable alimony obligations
• Calculating child support obligations, as state guidelines may not work for high-income families

If you’re pursuing a high net worth divorce, you need knowledgeable and experienced legal representation. At Kraayeveld Family Law, we have a reputation and proven track record of obtaining favorable resolutions for spouses in similar cases.

Contact Our Norton Shores, MI, Family Law Attorneys Today

When you find yourself in a dispute over domestic or family issues, you need skilled legal help to protect your and your loved ones’ interests and future. Contact Kraayeveld Family Law today for a confidential consultation with an experienced Michigan family law attorney. We’ll sit down with you, learn about your situation, and discuss how our firm can help you pursue a favorable resolution to your family law case.