We are five experienced divorce, custody, and family law lawyers with over 45 years of combined experience.
What is the best time to call you?
Your Zip Code:
Your Name:
Your Phone:
Your Email:
Contact Us
Scheduling a Consultation
24300 Southfield Rd, Ste 210
Southfield, MI. 48075
Tel: Toll Free: 877-471-4049
or Main Office: (248) 281-6299
We serve the City of Detroit, Michigan & surrounding counties
Our Michigan Divorce Lawyers represent individual in Divorce and related family issues in all counties that are within the State of Michigan including Detroit, Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Ann Arbor, Allen Park, Albion, Lincoln Park, Brighton, Howell, Saline, Monroe, Blissfield, Romulus, Southgate, Wyandotte, Livonia, Dearborn, Westland, Lansing, East Lansing, Okemos, Warren, Sterling Heights, Roseville, Eastpointe, Warren, Oak Park, Hillsdale, Inkster, Ferndale, Hazel Park, Whitmore Lake, Plymouth, Farmington, Trenton, Flat Rock, Tecumseh, Clinton, Chelsea, Novi, Garden City, Inkster, Taylor, Livonia, Redford, Southfield, Troy, Northville, South Lyon, Milan, Brooklyn, Melvyndale, Ecorse, Belleville, Canton, Wayne County, Oakland County, Washtenaw County, Monroe County, Macomb County. The information contained herein is not legal advice. Any information you submit to us may not be protected by attorney-client privilege. An attorney responsible for the content of this Site is M. Zaher, Esq., licensed in the State of Michigan with offices at 24300 Southfield Road, ste 210, Southfield, MI. 48075. All or some photos shown depict models and may not be actual attorneys or clients. We are expressly disclaim all liability in respect to actions taken or not taken based on any or all the contents of this website. We reserve the right , at our sole discretion, to change, suspend, or discontinue all or any part of this website or the content at any time without prior notice or liability.
Southfield Location
24300 Southfield Rd, Ste 210
Southfield, MI. 48075
1(248) 281-6299
Detroit Location
18551 W. Warren
Detroit, MI.. 48228
(313) 982-0010
Web: www.advantalaw.com
Email: [email protected]
Main Line: 1-313-982-0010
Fax : 1-248- 864-8554
Locations: Detroit & Southfield
Parking : Free
Lawyers : Available 7 Days A Week
Monday 09:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Tuesday 09:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Wednesday 09:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Thursday 09:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Friday 09:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Saturday By Appointment
If you or your spouse have made the decision to dissolve your marriage or you are seeking child support from an ex-spouse, it is important to have an advocate by your side that protects your rights as well as the rights of your family
Contested Divorce Lawyers
When you are facing a contested divorce in Michigan, it can feel as if you have the weight of the world on your shoulders. That is not a good place to be, whether you want to start divorce proceedings and your spouse refuses to agree to a divorce or you have received a divorce petition in the post and want to oppose it.
What is a contested divorce?
A contested divorce is one in which the ‘respondent’ party in the divorcing couple, who receives a copy of the divorce complaint from the court, decides to contest the divorce.
Once a party has made the decision to answer ‘yes’ on the acknowledgement of service, and contest the divorce proceedings, the process becomes much more complicated, lengthier, and expensive. It means that the couple will have to attend court proceedings for the matter, usually two different court hearings, and also leads to additional legal fees. In a contested divorce, the parties are unable to arrive at an agreement regarding all or some of the key issues, such as child custody and/or the division of assets and debts. However, even in a marriage without children, other issues can be cause for a contested divorce, such as disagreements on:
Property division
Spousal maintenance (commonly referred to as spousal support or alimony)
Distribution of assets
Division of retirement assets/accounts
Marital waste
What happens in a contested divorce?
Contested divorces are quite rare, and they rarely result in the divorce proceedings not taking place. If this is the case, and the contesting of the divorce does not work, then the respondent who has decided to contest the divorce will normally have to pay the legal fees of the other party involved, known as the petitioner.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET DIVORCED?
If we can’t agree on anything, then typically a contested divorce is going to probably take between eight and twelve months to complete and that’s simply a matter of how long it takes to get a trial date from a judge in Michigan. It takes a long time. Michigan courts are really, really crowded. If it’s only one or two issues that we can’t come to an agreement on, thus we don’t need as much time with the judge, then you know we can probably resolve the case through contested divorce through a trial in maybe four to eight months. The bottom line is that contested divorces are always much much longer because we have to go through all of the litigation processes. We have to do discovery. We have to go to court and we have to put on our evidence in front of the judge.
Experienced and Accomplished Attorneys
We are proud of what we’ve accomplished in our contested divorce Michigan cases. Many times a separation will be amicable, with the spouses agreeing on all major issues and the divorce proceeding smoothly. But in many other situations, one or both spouses may contest the divorce, making the involvement of the court system almost inevitable.
There are many issues at stake in such a situation, which is why you will require the services of a skilled Michigan divorce attorney. The court will step in on such issues as child custody, property division or any other issues being contested. Your divorce lawyer will be available to help ensure that the major issues are resolved in your favor.
Our contested divorce attorneys are focused on shepherding you through your difficult period. We want to help you solve your marital issues with dignity and integrity.
Divorce should not be destructive, even when it is contested. With our track record of over 20 years helping clients like you, we can help you settle the complicated legal issues that will result from a contested divorce.
The end of a relationship that you have invested in is always difficult. Leaning on your attorney to do what you have no heart to do is sometimes the best option. We will seek settlement terms that are fair to you on your behalf and ensure that you and any children you may have custody of (or seek custody of) are taking care of to the best lengths the law will allow.
Contact Our Experienced Michigan Divorce Lawyer
Regardless of whether your divorce is contested or uncontested, it is wise to have an experienced Michigan divorce attorney at your side. We also handle other types of family law cases, including:
Paternity
Family law mediation
Cohabitation agreements
Restraining order
Restraining order defense
Temporary emergency custody
