Frequently Asked Questions
General answers to common questions. Every situation is different — these are a starting point, not legal advice for your specific case. A free consultation gets you a specific answer.
General
Yes. The first consultation is free, with no pressure and no obligation
to hire the firm afterward.
Any documents related to your situation — citations, court paperwork,
contracts, correspondence — along with a general timeline of events.
If you're not sure what's relevant, bring what you have; we'll sort
out what matters.
Fleming Law Firm PLLC is based in Blissfield, Michigan and serves
clients throughout Monroe County and Lenawee County.
Yes. You work directly with the attorney handling your case from the
first conversation through resolution — you won't be routed through
staff or passed off to a paralegal.
It depends on the type of matter — personal injury cases are handled
on contingency, while other matters are billed differently. Fees are
discussed plainly and upfront at your free consultation, so you know
where you stand before committing to anything.
Yes — what you discuss with an attorney in a consultation is treated
as confidential, even if you decide not to hire the firm. Just avoid
sending sensitive details through the website contact form; save
those for the conversation itself.
Criminal Defense
Visit the Criminal Defense page →
Even a seemingly minor charge can carry consequences beyond the
immediate penalty — effects on your record, license, or employment.
Self-representation carries real risk, and a free consultation costs
nothing.
Attorney Fleming spent more than five years as an Assistant Prosecutor
for Lenawee County, giving him direct insight into how charging
decisions are made and how the prosecution builds and evaluates a
case — insight that shapes defense strategy from day one.
Misdemeanors and felonies, OWI/DUI, drug charges, assault and
domestic violence charges, theft and property crimes, and probation
violations — across Lenawee and Monroe counties.
In general, a criminal case moves through arraignment (where charges
are read and bond is addressed), pretrial proceedings, and — if it
doesn't resolve earlier — trial. Many cases resolve before trial, and
what happens at each stage depends on the facts of yours.
You have the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney —
and it's generally wise to use both. Politely decline to answer
questions until you've spoken with a lawyer; statements made early
on can shape the entire case.
Misdemeanors are less serious offenses, generally punishable by up to
a year in jail; felonies carry the possibility of longer sentences in
prison. Both create a criminal record, and both are worth defending
seriously — a "minor" conviction can follow you for years.
Family Law
Michigan courts decide custody based on the "best interests of the
child," weighing factors like each parent's living situation,
relationship with the child, and ability to provide stability. How
those factors apply depends on your family's specific facts.
No. Michigan is a no-fault divorce state, so one spouse can file even
if the other doesn't want the divorce.
Michigan follows "equitable distribution," meaning marital property is
divided fairly — which isn't always a strict 50/50 split — based on
factors like the length of the marriage and each spouse's
contributions.
Michigan imposes a minimum waiting period — generally 60 days, or six
months when minor children are involved. Beyond that, the timeline
depends heavily on whether the divorce is contested: uncontested
divorces can wrap up near the minimum, while disputed custody or
property issues take longer.
Legal custody is the authority to make important decisions about your
child's upbringing — education, healthcare, religion. Physical custody
concerns where the child lives day to day. Courts can award either
one jointly or to one parent, in any combination.
Yes. Custody, parenting time, and support orders can be modified
after the judgment when circumstances change significantly — a move,
a job change, or a shift in the child's needs. The firm handles these
post-judgment modifications as part of its family law practice.
Estate Planning
Visit the Estate Planning page →
A will directs how your assets are distributed and typically goes
through probate; a trust can pass assets outside of probate with more
control over timing and conditions. Which fits depends on your
assets and goals.
Michigan's intestacy laws decide who inherits your assets by default
— a distribution scheme that may not match what you'd have chosen,
and it still typically means probate court involvement.
A power of attorney names someone you trust to act on your behalf —
financially, medically, or both — if you're unable to act for
yourself. It's a core piece of most estate plans, because without
one, your family may need court involvement just to manage your
affairs.
Probate is the court-supervised process of settling an estate —
validating the will, paying debts, and distributing what remains. The
firm handles probate administration for families going through it,
and estate planning designed to reduce how much of your estate has
to pass through it.
Estate planning isn't just for later in life — it's for anyone who
wants a say in how their affairs are handled if something unexpected
happens. Even a simple will and powers of attorney mean less
guesswork, less cost, and less conflict for the people you'd leave it
to.
After major life events: marriage, divorce, a new child, a significant
change in assets, or the death of someone named in your plan. A quick
review every few years keeps the documents matched to your actual
wishes.
Real Estate
It's not required for most closings, but having an attorney review
the purchase agreement and title work before you sign can catch
issues a real estate agent isn't positioned to flag.
Title issues, easements, unresolved liens, and discrepancies between
the purchase agreement and closing disclosure are common trouble
spots worth a careful review before you sign.
Before, ideally. Once you've signed, you're bound by the agreement's
terms — a review beforehand means problems get fixed while you still
have leverage, instead of discovered after they're locked in.
Whether the seller can actually convey clear ownership — and whether
anything rides along with the property: liens, easements, restrictions,
or defects in past transfers that could become your problem after
closing.
Yes. Boundary and property disputes are part of the firm's real
estate practice — from reviewing surveys and deeds to negotiating a
resolution, and litigating when negotiation isn't enough.
Yes — both residential and commercial transactions, including
closings, title review, and the disputes that sometimes follow them.
Personal Injury
Visit the Personal Injury page →
Seek medical attention, document the scene if you're able to, gather
contact and insurance information, and avoid giving a recorded
statement to an insurance company before speaking with an attorney.
Yes. You pay no attorney's fees unless we recover money on your
behalf, with fee details discussed plainly upfront.
Car and truck accidents, slip and fall injuries, and other claims
where someone else's negligence caused the harm.
Most Michigan negligence claims must be filed within three years of
the injury — but some deadlines are much shorter, including certain
no-fault insurance benefit claims. Waiting also lets evidence go
stale, so the practical answer is: have your case reviewed promptly.
Not before having it reviewed. Early offers often arrive before the
full extent of your injuries and losses is known — and once you
accept and sign a release, you generally can't come back for more.
A free consultation tells you whether the offer is actually fair.
Being partly at fault doesn't automatically end a Michigan injury
claim — recovery may be reduced by your share of the fault, and the
rules differ by type of damages. How fault gets assigned is often
itself in dispute, which is exactly what a case review sorts out.
Civil Litigation
Visit the Civil Litigation page →
Civil litigation covers non-criminal disputes resolved through the
court system — matters where money or specific performance, not
criminal penalties, is at stake.
Many disputes settle through negotiation before ever reaching trial —
but having an attorney prepared to litigate if needed changes your
leverage in that negotiation. Which path makes sense depends on the
specifics of your dispute.
Contract disputes, property disputes, business disputes, and small
claims and general civil matters — backed by courtroom experience
across a genuinely broad range of cases, not a single narrow
specialty.
Don't ignore it — Michigan gives you a limited window to respond, and
missing it can mean a default judgment against you. Bring the papers
to a consultation promptly so a response can be filed on time and a
strategy set from the start.
It varies widely — some matters resolve in months through negotiation
or motion practice, while a case that goes all the way to trial can
take a year or more. You'll get a realistic read on your likely
timeline, not a sales pitch, at the consultation.
It depends on the complexity of the dispute and how far it goes. What
you can count on: fees discussed plainly upfront, and honest advice
about whether what's at stake justifies the cost of fighting for it.
Didn't find your answer? Ask directly — the first conversation is free.
Schedule a Free Consultation