Law Blog

Last month, just before the holidays, Governor Rick Snyder signed several tie-barred bills into law dealing with paternity and the rules establishing paternity in the county family courts of Michigan. The statute, officially known as the Genetic Parentage Act, adopts DNA testing and streamlines the procedure for establishing paternity in the family court.

Every year there are multiple family law decisions the contribute to the jurisprudence of Michigan’s family law. There are too many decisions to summarize here in this blog post.

James Brown was known as the “Godfather of Soul.” When he died in 2006, he was considered by many to be one of the most influential musicians of the 20th Century.

This is a seasonal re-post from last December. The suggestions apply to divorced or separated families this time of the year.

Paul Heminger admittedly grew nearly two-dozen (22 to be exact) marijuana plants on his property in Alger County, Michigan. At trial, during her closing arguments, Alger County prosecutor, Karen Bahrman, criticized the medical marijuana law and attacked the credibility of the Alger Hemp Coalition, the organization which a defense witness belonged.

According to the Innocence Project, misidentification is the leading cause of wrongful convictions. This statistic is important to criminal defense lawyers of my half-century vintage.

Lesbian Mom Prevails Under Equitable Parenting Doctrine

In a recent case of first impression, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that the county family court, in this case St. Clair County, can compel a party to a divorce to sign a joint tax return.

Social acceptance and decriminalization has equated to more people getting behind the wheel after they have consumed marijuana. However, unlike alcohol, there is no standard measurement to determine whether someone has had “too much” weed while operating a motor vehicle; if blood is drawn and there is any THC, the active ingredient of pot, then the driver is in violation.

Here is a tough choice: to serve your country through military service, or to continue being the primary care provider for your preschooler. That is the decision a Wayne County mother had to make recently as she contemplated her options in family court.