Michigan Lawyer Blog

The War Dog Memorial will be unveiled with a ceremony occurring this Saturday morning in Lake Orion. The monument will be dedicated to dogs that served alongside military members and will be located at the Orion Veterans Memorial in Lake Orion. The ceremony will include a salute from retired military dogs. SMDA continues to be…

The Covenant Medical Center Inc Vs State Farm Case and How It Could Affect Your No Fault Claim The Supreme Court has made a major change concerning the rights of medical practitioners in no fault cases. Previous to this decision, medical practitioners could sue insurance companies independent from their patients, which, while beneficial to the…

Michigan native and Vietnam War veteran James McCloughan was honored for his bravery during the battle of Nui Yon Hill this Monday. He was awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest military honor possible due to saving the lives of ten men while acting as a medic during the fight. He was only 23 at…

SMDA is pleased to update the status of the victory in the trial win against the auto insurer of a grieving family of their minor daughter who was seriously injured in a motor vehicle collision. SMDA tried this case to verdict and successfully defended the case in the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court.…

ot many people know about uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. Uninsured motorist coverage covers you when you are injured as a result of a driver who did not have insurance, a hit and run driver, or a driver of a stolen car. Uninsured motorist coverage is provided by your own insurance company. The cost of…

For many couples, the bulk of their assets are located in retirement accounts. The division of these assets, and the tax consequences associated with such, is a significant concern. Generally, you are entitled to half of the marital portion of your spouse’s retirement accounts and vice versa. The actual division of the accounts depends on…

As long as an individual was married at least 10 years, was divorced, and is currently single, he or she can collect Social Security benefits on an ex-spouse’s earning record as if they were still married. This applies even if the former spouse has remarried. An additional benefit for spouses born on or before January…

When you are considering filing for divorce, it is helpful to understand your financial situation – both individually and as a couple. You will want to have a general idea of the marital assets and debts. This will allow you to consider the amount of the assets that are subject to division, and how much…

n Rinvelt v. Rinvelt, 190 Mich App 372, 380; 475 NW2d 478, 482 (1991), the Court of Appeals held that prenuptial agreements governing the division of property in the event of divorce are enforceable if the following criteria is met: 1.) Was the agreement obtained through fraud, duress or mistake, or misrepresentation or nondisclosure of…

Where a change of custody is sought, the initial inquiry is whether there is an established custodial environment. An established custodial environment (ECE) is an environment of “significant duration in which a parent provides care, discipline, love, guidance, and attention that is appropriate to the age and individual needs of the child. It is both…