Lately I have been talking to an extraordinary number of fathers. I usually represent a lot of dads who are courageous and amazing at raising their sons and daughters. However, lately it seems as though 80-90% of my calls this week have been from dads. Dad's that are dealing with difficulties in raising their kids without cooperation from other family, Dads that are dealing with "baby momma drama,” Dads caught in trappings of old child support orders that were never changed, and many other major challenges of parenting and relationships. I want to simply give some love and light to my Dads and offer the following short tips. This is not intended to exclude my heroic moms, this is just in response to the flurry of calls I have been getting and an effort to encourage and remind fathers who they really are. These tips do not encompass every dad or situation and consulting with an individual attorney is best, but they do address many of the common situations faced by involved Dads. So ...
Picture this scene of a courtroom... the person walks up past the gallery public seating, goes through the awkward swinging half door that feels much heavier than it looks, and nervously navigates pass the tables with the lawyers and other people she does not know. She briefly looks at the small pitcher of water on their table and wonder when she sits at the designated leather chair for her (behind another awkwardly swinging wooden door), will she have a water table too. Suddenly her throat is dry and she feels like she won’t be able to speak. This is especially puzzling because she has waited for this day to tell the “real truth”. She steps up to the uniformed officer who looks her in her eye as if she is not really there and says: “Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?” And she answers… This scene is a display that happens in courtrooms across our country, state and city everyday. Although it is a familiar scene, ...
The Wayne County Probate Court has made several changes in the way it processes files and helps citizens. Whether you are a citizen who is filing for conservatorship to handle their parents' assets, a lawyer who is filing (or sending someone to file) a new probate estate, or you are a generous soul that is raising a child that is not your own and filing for limited guardianship - this information is for you. Please note the court has made the following changes: The Analyst Department has been eliminated. The persons formerly in the Analyst positions have become Service Clerks. The Probate Counter is staffed with 14 persons: 6 Counter Clerks and 8 Service Clerks. The Counter Clerks serve as Cashiers, Information Clerks and Case Initiation Clerks. The Service Clerks accept all petitions (initial and subsequent), motions, accounts, and other filings. They will also adjudicate and grant small estate petitions and applications for probate, accept inventories (and set bonds as nee ...