As we all know by now, Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued Executive Order 2020-21 on Monday, March 23, 2020, effectively shutting down the state until at least April 13. The Governor’s “Stay at Home Order” has some exceptions, but for the most part, we have been ordered to stay home until we get the Coronavirus and Covid-19 crisis under control.

In my Family Law practice, I frequently hear about communication and family issues arising as a result of too much cell phone usage. While we’re all guilty of at least occasionally picking up our phones during dinner or scrolling absentmindedly through emails during a conversation, if left unchecked, too much cell phone usage during family time can have serious consequences.

As we prepare to file our income tax returns, divorced or separated parents of minor children often wonder - or fight over - which parent gets to claim the dependency tax exemption for the children. If the parents file a joint return, this is not an issue.