Michelle Louise Steffen

Michelle Louise Steffen

4.9
Rating: 8.7

Licensed for 18 years

Family Lawyer at Traverse City, MI
Practice Areas: Family

1004 E Eighth St, Traverse City, MI

About Michelle

Biography

Practice Areas

1

Practice Area

Family 100%

I help clients understand the Michigan child support system. You can use my calculator at www.miestimator.com.

18 years | 300 cases

100%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 60 minutes

Hourly Rates

$ 225-250 per hour

Retainer

Sometimes


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

Looking for an attorney? Avvo can help.

search module image

Search our directory

Quickly connect with top attorneys through our legal directory to get help with your legal issue.

chat module image

Avvo's live chat agents can help coordinate a consultation with a local attorney.

Chat with a live agent who can match you with the right attorney for your legal needs.

Chat with

Licenses

Licensed in Michigan for 18 years

State: Michigan

Acquired: 2007

Active in Good Standing

No misconduct found

Location

Law Offices of Michelle Louise Steffen

1004 E Eighth St, Traverse City, MI, 49686-2626

Ad

Transform legal challenges into solutions.

Connect now to review your situation.

The Avvo Rating explained

display-bg

The Avvo Rating explained

Michelle Louise Steffen's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

5.0 /5.0

19 Client Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (19) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Showing 1 - 5 of 19 reviews

Posted by Charlie | March 16, 2017 | Hired Attorney

HONEST, KNOWLEDEGABLE, EXPEDIENT!

She has been a delight to work and consult with. She is more than fair, knows her stuff, and is very sympathetic and understanding. I have spoken with many attorneys over the years and she has made me feel the most comfortable in the quickest amount of time, and you know it's actually genuine. I also... love how quick she responds to emails and how she backs everything up with sources. I highly recommend her for consultations, reviews, and full representation. Godspeed!

Posted by Mary Orr | November 11, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Child Custody

Guardian Angel!

My husband and I have been through hell with the family court system regarding support, custody, and a biological mother that just wants to exploit the system her children and my husband for financial gain. Just like everyone else's reviews Michelle responded in less than 24 hrs. She was kind sincere... and most importantly HONEST. Her prices were accurate on her website and her knowledge of the law exemplary. She not only volunteered information freely, she helped me come up with ways to cut costs by doing the paperwork myself while guiding me through it. She is integrity and grace personified and when our other lawyer had abandoned us and ignored us, she became our guardian angel. She never made any dishonest guarantees and was forthright the entire way through and has also helped us manage expectations while giving us the tools we need to fight the Family Court. She works TIRELESSLY, literally around the clock. I am still amazed such an incredible person exists and grateful she was there for us.

Posted by Alberto Reyes | May 08, 2016 | Family

Free advise in family matter issue(child support)

I found Michelle in the web and I left a message. She email right back the same day and guide me on what to do and the choices that I have about my situation. I know she is a lawyer that cares about people issues, very professional. I would recommend her to anyone who have family issues. Thank you M...ichelle for spending your time in responding back to my concerns about my situation and thanks to you, I am in a better situation.

Posted by anonymous | October 28, 2015 | Financial Markets and Services

A brilliant 5 star attorney

My husband and I repeatedly consulted with Attorney Steffen. She is a bit of a hero to me creating real value-add in a flawed system, providing a much-needed service that most attorneys won't do - educate the clients. I appreciate that she validated but didn't pander to my husband and I as clients.... Most importantly, she is competent relative to knowledge and skills. She provided us with excellent financial advice as well as emotional support. I highly recommend her services and am so grateful for her.

Posted by Cathy P | October 07, 2015 | Child Support

Faced with a Dramatic Michigan Child Support Increase and Living in New Jersey…………..

Desperate to find someone that knew the child support laws in the State of Michigan and living in New Jersey and facing a deadline within a few days to respond to the Friend of the Court, I searched the internet trying to find someone or something that could help my son-in-law resolve an issue in whi...ch he was notified of a dramatic increase in the amount of child support for his daughter living in Michigan. During that research I came across a website that read, “Michigan Child Support Calculator. Complete and correct. Always free. A legal advocacy project of Michelle Steffen, Attorney.” It was an answer to our prayers. With the information I had, I immediately tried to use the calculator on her site. Not really knowing if the information I was providing was correct, I did attempt to complete the calculator form and found that the amount I was calculating was much lower than the Friend of the Court calculated. I immediately emailed Michelle asking for some advice on the matter. She responded within hours that evening. The next morning I emailed all the documents to her and within 24 hours, she had recalculated the case and found numerous deductions that the Friend of the Court failed to take into consideration in doing their calculations and also found errors the Friend of the Court paperwork contained. Her calculations suggested that the child support increase appeared to be approximately $150 a month more than it should have been once all the deductions allowed were included. For minimal cost, she prepared all the documents that needed to be submitted and my son-in-law was able to meet the deadline for submission. Although all of our conversations and transactions occurred through email, I found Michelle to be the most knowledgeable, dedicated and compassionate attorney you could ever work with. From the minute we made contact until every last detail was finalized, she never once hesitated to answer questions and find the exact parts of the law that pertained to this case. Michelle, we cannot thank you enough for everything that you have done for us. You are truly an exceptional attorney, and we would highly recommend you to anyone who needs assistance dealing with child support matters involving a child/children living in the State of Michigan.

See All Client Reviews

Michelle Louise Steffen's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Michelle
Matthew Lee Benedict headshot
Matthew Benedict

Family lawyer | Mar 17

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"If I have any questions regarding child support and family law, I always talk to Michelle first. Her knowledge of child support law is superb. I endorse this lawyer."

John C. Elkhoury headshot
John Elkhoury

Criminal defense lawyer | Nov 11

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

John B. Daugherty headshot
John Daugherty

Criminal defense lawyer | Feb 07

Relationship: Supervised lawyer

"If you are looking for a determined, experienced and knowledgeable attorney to defend you in a criminal matter, please call Michelle."

View All Endorsements
Lori B. Schmeltzer headshot
Lori Schmeltzer

Child custody lawyer

Laura Elizabeth Garneau headshot
Laura Garneau

Family lawyer

Jason Ali Razavi headshot
Jason Razavi

Criminal defense lawyer

John R. Moritz headshot
John Moritz

Criminal defense lawyer

Matthew Lee Benedict headshot
Matthew Benedict

Family lawyer

Jared Clayton Austin headshot
Jared Austin

Criminal defense lawyer

John C. Elkhoury headshot
John Elkhoury

General practice lawyer

Liisa R. Speaker headshot
Liisa Speaker

Appeals lawyer

Jennifer Motwani Hurley headshot
Jennifer Hurley

Employment and labor lawyer

John B. Daugherty headshot
John Daugherty

Divorce and separation lawyer

Experience

Rating:  8.7 (Excellent)

Honors

2015

Top 1% of Attorneys Nationwide, National Association of Distinguished Counsel

2015

Top Lawyer, The Global Directory of Who's Who

2015

Client's Choice Award, AVVO

2015

Top 10 Under 40 - Family Law - Nominated, National Academy of Family Law Attorneys, Inc.

2015

Criminal Law "10 Best" Attorneys - Nominated, American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys

2014

Client's Choice Award, AVVO

Work Experience

2014 - Present

Attorney, Razavi Law, PLLC

2009 - 2013

Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Benzie County Prosecutor's Office

2007 - 2009

Ordinance Prosecutor, City of Holland

2006 - 2006

Intern - Legal Department, City of Grand Rapids

2006 - 2006

Legal Intern, Cummings McClorey Davis & Acho

Associations

2016 - Present

CPR, AED and First Aid Certified

American Heart Association

2016 - Present

Traverse City Area Public Schools

East Middle School - Cheerleading Coach

2016 - Present

Traverse City Area Public Schools

Piano Accompanist - Central High School, East Middle School

Sample of Legal Cases

People v. Vanderberg

Court found in our favor, reversing the lower court's decision

See More Legal Cases

Education

2007

Southern Methodist University

J.D., cum laude

2004

Hillsdale College

B.A., magna cum laude

2000

Grand Rapids Baptist High School

High School Diploma, summa cum laude

N/A

Georgetown University

n/a

Speaking Engagements

2015

Local News

Defamation and Social Media

2014

WTCM Radio

Media and the Law

2013

Paternity and Child Support Conference

Michigan Child Support Calculations

2012

Council on Aging

Consumer Fraud and Elder Care

2012

Benzie County Law Day

Criminal Prosecution

Publications

2014

2012

www.miestimator.com Michigan Child Support Calculator

Languages

English

Spanish

Activity

Avvo Rating

Our Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.

What determines Avvo Rating?
  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
  • Legal thought leadership Publications, speaking engagements
  • Discipline Disciplinary information may not be comprehensive, or updated. We recommend that you always check a lawyer's disciplinary status with their respective state bar association before hiring them.
Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution