The D.C. Law blog
Know where you stand.
Plain English answers to the Michigan law questions we hear most, from OWI arrests to expungement to divorce. Written by the firm, checked against the statutes, free to read.
Second and third OWI offenses: what actually changes
Mandatory minimums, a revoked license, and a third offense that stays a felony no matter how old the priors are.
The summer move and Michigan's 100 mile rule
What a parent under a custody order can and can't do with a new address, and what the court weighs.
Who can search a dorm room, and when
The housing contract lets staff in. It doesn't turn every entry into a search, and campus officers are police.
Michigan's social host law: the party you didn't supply
Knowingly allowing minors to drink on your property is its own misdemeanor, and the keys in a bowl don't fix it.
Michigan's attendance law, and when absences reach a courtroom
The duty falls on the parent, and a truancy case has to clear specific findings before a judge sees it.
Michigan doesn't have sobriety checkpoints. Here's what it has instead
Why every OWI stop through Labor Day needs its own reason, and what officers are watching for.
Refused the breath test? The 14 day clock is already running
Michigan's implied consent suspension arrives on its own, and the hearing request has a hard deadline.
Child support and school expenses: who pays for what
What base support covers, how childcare is split, and why private school needs its own order.
Michigan's teen driver rules: the clock and the headcount
The Level 2 curfew, the one passenger limit, the exceptions, and what a first ticket really costs.
Dream Cruise week: when a launch becomes a misdemeanor
MCL 257.626a covers races, burnouts, and even the people helping. What a charge really means.
Field sobriety tests: what you can and can't refuse
Three tests, three refusal prices: nothing, a fine, and a year of your license. Know the order.
School zones are back: bus tickets and doubled fines
The 20 foot school bus rule, stop arm cameras, and the 5 point school zone speeding ticket.
Moving out August 31? Michigan's security deposit clocks
The 4 day address rule, the landlord's 30 and 45 day deadlines, and when you can collect double.
Fake ID charges: the $60 card that costs a real license
The misdemeanor, the 90 day suspension, and the one time off ramps that keep a record clean.
Divorced and disagreeing about school? Neither of you decides alone
Joint legal custody makes enrollment a shared call, and August deadlocks end up with a judge.
Child custody in Michigan: how judges actually decide
The 12 best interest factors, legal vs. physical custody, and what it takes to change an order.
Summer parenting time: vacations, denials, makeup time
Vacation travel vs. relocation, what to do when time is denied, and how makeup time works.
Probation violations in Michigan: what actually happens
The hearing, the lower burden of proof, and the 2021 caps on jail time for technical violations.
MIP season: minor in possession at summer parties
A first MIP is a civil infraction, a second is a crime, and the host's exposure is worse than the minor's.
Assault and battery charges in Michigan: the three levels
Simple, aggravated, and felonious assault, what elevates each one, and how self defense works.
Charged at the Wyandotte Street Art Fair?
Open intox, disorderly conduct, and the other charges fair week brings to Biddle Avenue.
Reckless vs. careless driving in Michigan
One is a crime with 6 points and a 90 day suspension. The other is a 3 point ticket.
Michigan fireworks law: what's actually legal
The protected days around July 4th, local ordinance fines, and when fireworks become a crime.
Boating under the influence in Michigan
The 0.08 limit applies on the water too, but the consequences work differently than an OWI.
July 4th OWI enforcement: are checkpoints legal in Michigan?
DUI checkpoints violate the Michigan Constitution. Holiday saturation patrols are very real.
How much does a criminal defense lawyer cost in Michigan?
Fee structures, what drives the price up, and the questions to ask before you hire anyone.
How does divorce work in Michigan? Process and timeline
Residency rules, waiting periods, and every step from filing to judgment in a no fault state.
Driving on a suspended license in Michigan (DWLS)
What a DWLS charge really costs, how one unpaid ticket snowballs, and how to get valid again.
HYTA: Michigan's second chance law for young adults
How the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act keeps a conviction off your record if you're under 26.
Domestic violence charges in Michigan: what to know
Penalties, the first offender deferral, no contact orders, and why the charge doesn't just go away.
Retail fraud charges in Michigan: degrees and penalties
The three degrees, their dollar thresholds, civil demand letters, and keeping theft off your record.
What happens at an arraignment in Michigan?
Pleas, bond types, conditions, and what comes after your first court appearance.
Should you fight a traffic ticket in Michigan?
Your three response options, the deadline that matters, and when paying quietly is the wrong move.
How Michigan driver's license points actually work
Point values, the 2 year rule, the 12 point reexamination, and how to keep points off your record.
Michigan expungement in 2026: how Clean Slate works
Who qualifies, what's automatic now, waiting periods, and how to set aside a conviction.
Police want to question you in Michigan? Read this first
Your right to remain silent, when Miranda actually applies, and what to say at the door.
Misdemeanor vs. felony in Michigan: the real difference
Misdemeanor tiers, felony classes, which court hears what, and the consequences nobody mentions.
How to get your Michigan driver's license back
The restoration hearing process, what you must prove, and why preparation decides these cases.
Michigan OWI penalties for a first offense (2026)
Jail exposure, fines, the 30 plus 150 day license hit, and how High BAC changes everything.
What happens after an OWI arrest in Michigan?
The step by step timeline from the stop to sentencing, and the deadlines that matter most.
Free consultation
Reading about it isn't handling it.
These articles explain the law. They can't apply it to your facts. A free consultation can.