Michigan Military Divorce

Parenting Plan Calculators, Planners, and Trackers

Family lawyers are often challenged to help clients work out parenting-time plans that allocate time with the child (or children) between the parents.  Ten years ago, Stephen J. Harhai described the problem like this: "The fundamental problem in working out time-sharing issues is that it is hard to visualize or calculate the effect of a given plan without a lot of grunt work. We have spent untold hours marking calendars, counting days, writing explanations, and generally driving ourselves crazy getting a handle on complicated time-sharing arrangements." ["Tools of the Trade" column in the Family Advocate (Vol. 20, No. 3)]

Approval of Gardasil for Women 27 to 45 delayed

Recently, I was asked by a Michigan family lawyer whether Gardasil, Merck & Co’s cervical cancer vaccine, could safely be used by older women. Gardasil was approved in June 2006 for use with females ages 9-26 to prevent cervical cancer and genital warts. Merck had applied for the use of Gardasil in women ages 27 through 45.

Gay marriage in Massachusetts viewed as "mixed bag"

The New York Times reported on June 15, 2008 that gay people who married in Massachusetts once that State enacted a statute allowing same-sex marriage report that their marital problems aren't really that much different from those experienced by other married couples.

Warning to stay away doesn't justify PPO, says court of appeals

In Jasina v Jasina, Docket No. 275583, the Michigan court of appeals held that the trial court properly refused to issue a personal protection order against the Petitioner's brother. The allegation was made, and supported by a tape-recorded telephone conversation, that the Respondent had said "Stay away from me or I will punch you in the head."

The COA panel stated that this was insufficient to support issuance of a PPO since if the Petitioner simply stayed away from his brother, there would be no threat of harm. In other words, as I've heard some characterize such statements, "I'm not making a threat; I am making a promise."

Personal protection order prevents parent's contact with child

In Hayford v Hayford, Docket No 276176, decided June 10, 2008 [For Publication], the Michigan Court of Appeals upheld a personal protection order that prohibited a non-custodial parent from contact with his 18-year old son.

In this case, the respondent father apparently had visitation rights with his son, the petitioner, pursuant to an order of custody under the Child Custody Act (“CCA”). The father argued that the PPO impermissibly modified the parenting time order. But the COA held that, under the CCA, once the child attained the age of 18, even though he was still in high school, and even though the father was required to support the child and provide him with medical care until the child’s graduation from high school, the father no longer had a right to parenting time, citing Bert v Bert, 154 Mich App 208, 211; 397 NW2d 270 (1986).