Grand Haven Family Law Attorney

Providing Trusted Legal Guidance for Family Law Disputes

Family law is a broad area encompassing many different types of disputes. All family law issues share one common feature—they are often the most emotional disputes that a person can experience.

At the Van Den Heuvel Law Office, we are prepared to represent you in whatever family law dispute you find yourself in. We have decades of experience in the following areas and are prepared to get to work for you.

Divorce

A divorce in Michigan completely unwinds a marriage and will require that a judge decide several important issues, such as:

• Child custody: Child custody disputes are often the most emotional in a divorce. A court will decide what is in your child’s best interests and come up with a custody schedule.
• Child support: The noncustodial parent must pay child support to the custodial parent. Michigan has taken a lot of the guesswork out of child support determinations by creating guidelines, but sometimes you need more child support, or you want to pay less than the guideline amount.
• Division of marital assets and debts: Couples acquire substantial property and debts while married, and they must divide them before they can go their separate ways. Our goal is to make sure you are in the best financial shape possible to start your new life.
• Spousal support: Support payments can keep one spouse from facing financial devastation after a divorce. Spouses do not have a right to support, but a judge might decide it is fair and appropriate.

Divorcing couples are free to reach an agreement on any of these issues and avoid a long and contentious divorce in the process. Unfortunately, many of our clients are afraid to negotiate effectively or do not know how. We can help negotiate your divorce agreement to protect your rights and accomplish your goals. If negotiations break down, we can also go into court to represent you.

Modifications

After the judge sets child custody and child support orders, your needs might change. We have helped many people ask a judge to modify a court order so that they work for our clients.

Paternity

Paternity disputes often erupt when a mother wants to get child support from the father or a man wants access to his child. Neither can happen until a court decides that a man is the father. Once paternity is established, a man becomes legally and financially responsible for his children. We can help prove who the father of a child is.

Adoption

Adoption takes many forms. Sometimes, a stepparent wants to adopt a spouse’s child, or family members (like grandparents or aunts/uncles) want to adopt a relative. In other cases, couples seek to adopt an unrelated child. Adoption can be challenging, with many forms you need to fill out, and you should not go through this extensive process on your own.

Speak to an Experienced Grand Haven Family Law Attorney

Whatever your family law needs, we can help. At the Van Den Heuvel Law Office, we have built our reputation by listening to our clients and finding solutions that meet their goals. For more information, you can schedule a free consultation by calling us or sending an online message.