Among the most consequential and personal challenges we will face in life involve family law issues.

At HLP, our focus is on deescalation of conflict. We strive to find solutions that rebuild and reestablish relationships rather than destroy them. With smart and strategic advice, we help our clients develop the long view—seeing beyond the hurt and pain and the emotions of the moment to protect the well-being and preserve the assets for the future of the spouse and the children. At HLP, when strategically advantageous, we will use collateral professionals, such as psychologists and accountants, to achieve what is in the best interest of our clients and their minor children.
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While we will be prepared for success in every matter requiring litigation, we also are expert in positioning matters for collaborative resolution or mediation. Our approach not only saves time and money, but is consistent with our goal of rebuilding relationships not destroying them.
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At HLP, our family law services include: divorce, alimony, child custody, visitation, child support, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements and restraining and protective orders.

Divorce

At HLP, we know you are likely experiencing a wide range of feelings, including anger, guilt, sadness, loss, apprehension, and concern about the future. As the process continues, you may feel upset and wronged by the actions of your spouse. This is human nature. Compared to your emotional state, the legal process for a Michigan divorce may seem dry and uncaring. While it may be difficult, it is important not to try and resolve the emotional impact of divorce through the legal process. The emotional pain of divorce will fade in time, while the legal requirements of your divorce will be in effect for years or even decades to come.

In the eyes of the court, divorce is a technical procedure which terminates the current legal relationship between the parties. This termination is accomplished through a series of steps, many of which involve providing large amounts of information to the court. The numerous steps may seem complex and confusing. Especially considering how little paperwork is required to get married, the documentation required to get divorced can seem overwhelming.  As your ally in the divorce procedure, Harris Law Partners will guide you through the legal steps. Even when emotions are running high, your divorce lawyer will make it easier to keep a clear head and make tough decisions. 

Asset Protection

Divorce exposes your assets to risk. One of the primary duties of a good divorce lawyer is to protect their client’s assets during the divorce process. The attorney must know, and use, all of the proper legal tools available.
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Few financial transactions expose your assets to as much risk as divorce, and none are performed during such an emotional upheaval. Clients suffering guilt for wanting out of the marriage, or attempting to save the marriage at all cost, are inclined to surrender far too much asset value to their spouse. Angry spouses will over-reach to financially punish their soon to be former spouse. Financially weaker or dependent spouses see the divorce as their opportunity to grab a solid financial future.
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One of the primary duties of a good divorce lawyer is to protect their client’s assets during the divorce process. The attorney must know, and use, all of the proper legal tools available. The attorney must be able to evaluate and analyze the assets to design a balanced property division.
Many high-value asset divorces will need to have a financial team created to assist in the process. Your attorney will need a good working relationship with a business appraiser, real estate appraiser, CPA, and financial adviser to create the team necessary for each case.
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Asset protection will incorporate a proper calculation and negotiation of child support, special needs children expenses, spousal support, and personal debt-division. Though technically these are not part of the high-value asset division, they are financial issues that will become intertwined. The overall goal is to agree to reasonable support combined with fair asset and debt division.
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The client and their attorney must stay level-headed during the divorce process. Unreasonable or reactionary attitudes will only undermine a good financial plan.
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We realize that this is your marriage and your divorce, but the best asset protection comes from treating the financial aspect as a business transaction.

Child Custody

To control and prevail in litigation over issues involving children, you will need an experienced and skilled attorney that can organize and manage your parenting plan.
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The two most emotional and expensive issues in divorce are children and property division. Fortunately, in most cases, the custody issues are resolved in a sensible manner by keeping the best interest of the children as the focus point. Unfortunately, these issues can spiral into ugly protracted litigation by a hostile and or greedy spouse if not properly controlled from the beginning. The children can be used as the final weapon by an angry and vindictive spouse. The children can be seen as a source of more money. Even a well-intending spouse that is extremely misguided in what is truly in the best interest of the children can take ridiculous positions and make outrageous demands.
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To control and prevail in litigation over children issues in divorce you will need an experienced and skilled attorney that can organize and manage your parenting plan. In contentious cases, it may be necessary to build a strong team of professionals to support your position. Your attorney must have quality guardian ad litems, child psychologists, pediatricians, and investigators ready and able to work together for a common goal. Your spouse can make numerous unfounded accusations. You have to be ready to counter and neutralize those accusations.
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The litigation issues involved with children are not issues that you can blindly compromise during the divorce, and then go back and fix later. Once the die is cast, it is very difficult to achieve a new direction. If possible, proper positioning should begin before the divorce is filed and, if not, immediately upon filing.