Mike Toburen

• State Bar of Michigan
• United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan
• American Bar Association
• Grand Rapids Bar Association. Former Chair, Solo/Small Firm. Section Member, Family Law Section, Solo/Small Firm Section/ Estate Planning, Probate Section, 2018
• Grand Rapids Bar Association. Former Chair, Solo/Small Firm. Section Member, Family Law Section, Solo/Small Firm Section/ Estate Planning, Probate Section, 2019
• Grand Rapids Bar Association. Former Chair, Solo/Small Firm. Section Member, Family Law Section, Solo/Small Firm Section/ Estate Planning, Probate Section, 2020

• I represented a wife/mother in a contested divorce case involving two minor children. Husband/Father was abusive of the children, and although my client did not readily admit it, he was most likely abusive of her, too. Husband was seeking joint custody and 50/50 parenting time. My client was seeking full physical custody and for father to have limited (weekend) parenting time. My client also wanted to move to a neighboring town and to enroll the children in a new school district, which the father opposed. This case went to trial. At the conclusion of the trial, my client was granted full physical custody. Father was initially awarded supervised parenting time, with parenting time to gradually become unsupervised. Once parenting time became unsupervised, father would have parenting time every other weekend.  My client was also granted permission to move with the children and to enroll the children in a new school district., 2020
• Successfully completed a Collaborative Divorce. Client was father of one young minor child. Father was blindsided by wife's request for a divorce. Although client was interested in Collaborative Divorce in order to avoid contested litigation, he was also leery that he would lose the ability to advocate for the issues that he cared about. Client was very pleased with the result of the Collaborative Divorce, and he was relieved that he was able to complete the process without the stress and cost of litigation. Client is confident that he and his ex-wife are better able to co-parent their child because they were able to resolve the divorce without a court battle., 2020
• I completed a Probate for client who unexpectedly lost her husband. The parties had recently moved to Michigan, and due to circumstances, they purchased a house in husband's name alone. At the time of husband's death, the home was still in husband's name alone. Probate was successfully completed, which included transferring the home to client. After completion of the probate, client also retained my services to update and complete her own estate planning documents, which included a Last Will and Testament, a Durable Power of Attorney-Financial, and a Durable Power of Attorney-Healthcare., 2020
• I represented father in a custody case involving parental alienation and false claims of physical and emotional abuse. In September 2018, mother did not return child to dad (my client) for his parenting time. Mom falsely claimed that Dad and Dad's stepson had physically abused the child. On behalf of my client, I filed a Motion to Enforce Parenting Time, which was granted. The court ordered the child returned to my client for his regular parenting time. Mom did not show up for the hearing and then went into hiding. After a second hearing in December 2018, the court issued a pickup order, ordering local law enforcement to remove the child from mom to be returned to dad. Mom consented at that point, and for a very short period of time, my client was able to exercise his parenting time. Over the next year and a half, mom and her family made numerous false claims about my client to CPS and to law enforcement. During that time, I filed a Motion to Modify Custody as it became very clear that mom was suffering from a severe mental illness. Following trial in summer 2019, my client was awarded full legal custody and full physical custody, and mom was ordered to have supervised parenting time., 2019

• Certified, Collaborative Divorce, 2019
• Certified, Collaborative Divorce, 2020

• YMCA
• Friends of Dyslexia Education for West Michigan Children
• Andrew Elliott Rusticus Foundation
• First Tee of West Michigan
• Pro Bono Legal Services, Legal Aid of West Michigan, 2020
• Pro Bono Legal Services, Legal Aid of West Michigan, 2018
• Pro Bono Legal Services, Legal Aid of West Michigan, 2019

• Hope College, Holland, MI Graduated Cum Laude, Bachelor of Arts, Accounting, 1999

“Michael Toburen is one of the brightest legal stars in our town and a gentleman. I am constantly impressed by his professionalism and knowledge.”

“I frequently refer clients to Mike and they are always very happy with his help.”

“I often refer clients to Mike Toburen for quality work in Estate Planning and Family Law matters with only positive feedback.”