Nothing comes easy when a couple decides to file for a divorce.  The division of assets and debts, deciding who, if anyone, keeps the marital home, and reestablishing a new life as a single person are unenviable tasks. Nothing, however, is more difficult on a person than determining what custody arrangement is in the best interests of the children and in so doing reducing the amount of time each parent gets to spend with the little ones.  Nothing can possibly compare to seeing time with one's children divided by half, or maybe more.

Let's start off by dispelling the rumor that a mother automatically has a greater claim to the custody of her children than the father. This statement is false.  Both parents have equal rights and a baseline custody arrangement seeks equal time for both parents.  There are limited instances and factors wherein a mother’s claim may be superior, but this is certainly not the norm.

While an equal division of time is certainly the goal, getting there can be difficult and at times impossible.  What if one parent travels for work?  What if one parent moves outside of the school district that the children have been attending? What if the kids do not react well to going from home to home every week?  How much stability do the children need?  These, and countless others, are questions that must be considered in determining a custody schedule that is in the best interests of the children.  

Custody arrangements work best when the parties are able to agree and be flexible.  Being agreeable and flexible, however, when dealing with an ex or soon to be ex, is easier said than done given that there are likely some strong feelings that are leading to the separation in the first place.  If you are facing a custody battle, you need an attorney in your corner that understands your situation and will vigorously advocate on your behalf.  Custody Orders are permanent in nature and once in place are difficult to change so you need to be sure that the Order reflects your wants and needs and truly looks out for the best interests of your children.  Contact The Law Office of Mattias Johnson today so that we can help make that happen.

The simple answer is that it doesn’t.  What Northern Michigan needs is a different law firm.  A firm that values the lawyer client relationship over fees.  A firm that takes the time to make sure that the relationship between lawyer and client takes priority over a firm’s need to fill its coffers. A firm that is committed to doing the legwork before jumping into something as serious as a lawsuit.

We want to work with people that want to work with us.  If we realize off the bat that we’re not a good fit, we will take the time to advise you on where you might find an attorney that suits your needs.  If your issue is not our specialty, we’ll refer you to where you can find that specialized representation.  If you don’t feel comfortable with our representation we will send you on your way with a hand-shake and our genuine blessing.  

We take pride in getting things right from the start. If there are issues with your case we will tell you up front.  If there are alternatives to litigation, we will seek them out and present them to you from the get go.  We will never pressure you into making a decision, your case is your case.

What truly sets us apart is the effort that we will put into case at the outset.  This starts with creating a strong relationship and continues into our development of your litigation strategy.  We will leave no stone unturned and craft our efforts to prepare for every contingency and prevent any surprises.

In order to provide the best representation available, we insist upon full disclosure from our clients.  If there are facts pertaining to your case that you are uncomfortable discussing with us, we cannot represent you.  In spite of a client’s belief or hope that a fact may be immaterial, we must insist that this is our determination to make.

We recognize that you may be dealing with something traumatic and you need help when you come into our office.  We will strive to provide you with a predictable road map forward to provide you some semblance of certainty in uncertain times.  If you are facing something that you cannot shoulder alone, give us a call, there is no cost for our consultations.  Give us a call today.