Northville Divorce Attorney

Although many people get divorced every single year in the U.S., most of us don’t expect to ever get divorced when we marry. So, in most cases, divorce is a difficult, sometimes overwhelming, often emotional time. Assets must be split, child custody and child support determined, spousal support considered, and lives divided. Although it is certainly important that your Northville divorce attorney empathizes with your current situation, even more importantly, your attorney must be practical and reasonable.

Since your emotions may be all over the place, it’s crucial that you have an experienced attorney who will consistently look out for your best interests. Attorney Melissa Pearce fully understands the many difficulties associated with divorce. Melissa and her staff at Melissa Pearce & Associates have significant experience that has shown how divorce places a strain on families.

We believe in effectively negotiating for the rights of our clients while simultaneously educating families facing divorce. The complex emotions of the spouses, along with the emotional and psychological effects on the children must be addressed. Attorney Melissa Pearce believes parents ultimately want the best for their children and can learn how to effectively co-parent throughout the transition. At Melissa Pearce & Associates, we are dedicated to treating every client with dignity, respect, and transparency.

About Northville

Northville, MI is a city in Wayne and Oakland counties, with a population of approximately 6,000. Located about 11 miles west of Detroit, and 17 miles northeast of Ann Arbor, Northville is considered a suburb of Detroit. Settled by European Americans in 1825, Northville was not incorporated as a city until 1955. In 1919, Henry Ford purchased a factory in Northville, moving machinery from other plants to the area.

This factory—called the Northville Valve Plant—provided valves for every Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln vehicle until it was eventually sold in 1981. Residents enjoy the Heritage Festival held each September, along with Art in the Sun, the Fire and Ice Chili and Salsa Cookoff, Summer Friday Night Concerts, and the annual Northville Christmas Parade. While Northville can be an idyllic place to live and raise a family, spouses in Northville often face divorce, just like couples everywhere.

Divorce Overview

According to the World Population Review, when ranking the states in the United States, Michigan falls somewhere in the middle as far as the frequency of divorce. Across the U.S., 90 percent of all those in the U.S. will marry by the time they turn 50, and about 50 percent of first marriages will end in divorce. There are many different things to worry about during a divorce. If you are ready to move forward with a divorce, you must know the following:

In the state of Michigan either you or your spouse must have lived in the state of Michigan for at least the last 180 days prior to filing for divorce, and in the county where at least one of you has lived for at least ten days.
There is a 60-day waiting period to obtain a divorce unless you have minor children—then the waiting period is six-months.
While only one of you must be living in Michigan to file for divorce, if the other spouse has never lived in Michigan, the court may only have limited jurisdiction. Limited jurisdiction means the court can divorce you, but certain things like property division, custody, and child support could be a problem.
Michigan, like most states, has no-fault divorce, meaning you don’t have to allege—and prove—something like adultery or cruelty. You can simply say you and your spouse have irreconcilable differences.
You can get a divorce in Michigan if you have a valid common law marriage only if that marriage was entered into in the state of Michigan prior to 1957 or was entered into in another state that continues to recognize common law marriages.

Divorce Services Provided by Melissa Pearce & Associates

When you choose Melissa Pearce & Associates for your Michigan divorce, we offer the following services:

Divorce, whether simple or complex
Child custody and child support
Asset evaluation and division
Spousal support
Legal separation
Paternity issues
Pre- and post-nuptial documents
Protective Orders
Modifications of spousal support or child support

What Can I Expect at My First Meeting with My Northville Divorce Attorney?

At Melissa Pearce & Associates, you will first schedule a pre-engagement meeting that will allow us to discuss your divorce with you. At that pre-engagement meeting, you will meet with a client relations specialist. We will listen to you, then give you an evaluation of your case, along with an explanation and review of marital and separate assets.

We believe it is in your best interests to have a dedicated family lawyer by your side who really cares about the emotional well-being of all those involved yet will fight for your rights at every turn.

Does It Make a Difference Which Divorce Attorney You Hire?

You may have wondered if it really makes a difference which divorce attorney you hire. In fact, it can make a huge difference, not only in the outcome of your divorce but also in the overall experience. When you hire a divorce attorney, you will be trusting them with the things that are most important to you, including your children. You are also trusting them to care enough about you and your financial future that they will fight for a fair asset division, spousal support, when warranted, and child support.

Because this is such an important decision, you must look for a Northville divorce attorney you feel comfortable with, and one that has excellent communication skills. Your divorce attorney should reply promptly to your calls and emails and should have extensive family law experience. The attorney should be empathetic to your situation but should be able to look clearly at your situation and then propose the best options moving forward.

Attorney Melissa Pearce offers all this and much more as her firm seeks to provide an approach that matches each client’s overall goals. Melissa spends time educating clients on how they should be aware of what their children hear and see during the divorce.

How Northville Divorce Attorney Melissa Pearce Can Help

Melissa Pearce and Associates is here to answer all your questions regarding your divorce, asset division, child custody, spousal support, and more. We will comprehensively evaluate your situation, then provide options going forward. Contact our office today to schedule a pre-engagement meeting so we can discuss your case.