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Richard A. "Ric"
Roane

  • Partner
rroane@wnj.com
Grand Rapids
T 616.752.2367
F 616.222.2367

My admin

Family law issues are the great equalizer – they are stressful and emotional, no matter how high-net worth or professionally powerful the person experiencing them might be. When clients walk through the door, some aspect of their lives has become messy. I find it incredibly rewarding to be able to help remove the disarray and discord, reestablish a sense of order and offer our clients a clear roadmap to a more serene, secure and certain future.

Ric Roane has been practicing family law and domestic relations litigation for more than three decades. He focuses on divorce, complex business valuation and asset distribution, non-marital domestic relationships, domestic relations mediation, arbitration and collaborative law, spousal support, child custody and support, pre-nuptial agreements and LGBTQ+ family issues. Ric is a former chair of Warner’s Family Law Practice Group.

industries

practices

  • Represents executives, health care professionals, homemakers, family business owners, professional athletes, teachers and others in contested domestic relations matters.
  • Experienced in handling complex asset division, including the valuation of closely held businesses, investment portfolios and real estate valuation and distribution.
  • Successfully resolved international divorce, custody and child abduction/return matters.
  • Skilled in alternative dispute resolution, including collaborative law, arbitration or mediation of complex property valuation and division issues and matters of custody and support.
  • Counsels clients on the pitfalls of social media use and advises on electronic discovery.
  • Represents executives, health care professionals, homemakers, family business owners, professional athletes, teachers and others in contested domestic relations matters.
  • Experienced in handling complex asset division, including the valuation of closely held businesses, investment portfolios and real estate valuation and distribution.
  • Successfully resolved international divorce, custody and child abduction/return matters.
  • Skilled in alternative dispute resolution, including collaborative law, arbitration or mediation of complex property valuation and division issues and matters of custody and support.
  • Counsels clients on the pitfalls of social media use and advises on electronic discovery.
  • “Alimony and the Use of Experts to Level the Playing Field,” 23rd Annual Family Law Institute, ICLE, November 15, 2024
  • “The Gender Creative Child: Emerging LGBTQ Issues Impacting Family Law Practice,”  American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Michigan Chapter Seminar, May 2, 2024
  • “Grappling with LGBTQA and Particularly Transgender Issues Impacting Family Law,” American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyer Kentucky Chapter 25th Annual Family Law Seminar, Louisville, Kentucky, April 24, 2024
  • “Deception in Divorce: How It Impacts Trust, Discovery, and Negotiations,”
  • “Alimony and the Use of Experts to Level the Playing Field,” 23rd Annual Family Law Institute, ICLE, November 15, 2024
  • “The Gender Creative Child: Emerging LGBTQ Issues Impacting Family Law Practice,”  American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Michigan Chapter Seminar, May 2, 2024
  • “Grappling with LGBTQA and Particularly Transgender Issues Impacting Family Law,” American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyer Kentucky Chapter 25th Annual Family Law Seminar, Louisville, Kentucky, April 24, 2024
  • “Deception in Divorce: How It Impacts Trust, Discovery, and Negotiations,” 21st Annual ICLE Family Law Institute Seminar, November 17-18, 2022
  • Approaching Prenuptial Agreements Positively, Family Office Exchange Webinar, September 18, 2019
  • Prenup Workshop, Family Business Alliance, Grand Rapids, Michigan, February 14, 2019
  • “Who is a Parent and who is a Child in a Same Sex Family – Legislation and Judicial Issues for LGBT Families Post-Separation from European and US Perspectives,” International Academy of Family Lawyers European Chapter Meeting, Lisbon, Portugal, March 24, 2017
  • One Year After Obergefell – Impact on Michigan Families, State Bar of Michigan Young Lawyers Section Annual Legal Summit, June 4, 2016
  • The Changing Face of Today’s Family and its Impact on Family Law, ICLE Family Law Institute, Novi, Michigan, November 12, 2015
  • AAML Webinar: After Obergefell, November 2015
  • “No More Same Sex Marriage – Marriage is Marriage. Period!,” “A Marriage Equality Update after Obergefell,” Grand Rapids, Michigan, July 2015; Kansas City, Missouri, September 2015; Portland, Oregon, October 2015; Novi, Michigan, November 2015; Atlanta, Georgia, December 2015
  • “Marriage Equality Legal Update” and “Family Court Motion Practice: Dos and Don’ts From Seasoned Practitioners,” 13th Annual ICLE Family Law Institute, Novi, Michigan, November 13-14, 2014
  • “Marriage Equality Legal Update,” American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois, November 5, 2014
  • ICLE Advanced Day-Long Property Settlement Drafting Seminar, St. John’s, Michigan, October 23, 2014
  • “Marriage Equality Legal Update,” Michigan Judicial Institute Annual Referee’s Conference, Lansing, Michigan, October 16, 2014
  • “Marriage Equality Legal Update,” Davenport University paralegal students, September 22, 2014
  • “The Marriage Equality Movement after US v Windsor: Considerations for Michigan,” Family Court Forum, June 6, 2014
  • “Hague Convention International Child Custody Disputes: The Meaning of Continuing Exclusive Jurisdiction,” AAML, May 1, 2014
  • “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do: New Rights, New Solutions in a Post-DOMA World,” AICPA/AAML Conference on Divorce, April 23 and 25, 2014, Las Vegas, Nevada
  • “The Marriage Equality Movement after US v Windsor: Considerations for Michigan,” Bloomfield Hills MIPA Roundtable, April 3, 2014
  • “The Marriage Equality Movement Update after US v Windsor and Subsequent State and Federal Rulings and Actions,” Michigan State Bar Family Law Section Winter Conference, February 3, 2014, Peter Island, British Virgin Islands
  • “Preparing a Client for Negotiation or Mediation in a Family Law Matter,” ICLE Family Law Institute, November 15, 2013
  • “Marriage Equality Considerations After Repeal of DOMA,” ICLE Family Law Institute, November 14, 2013
  • “The Marriage Equality Movement after US v Windsor: Marriage Equality vs Prohibition States,” AAML National Meeting, November 9, 2013, Chicago, Illinois
  • “The Marriage Equality Movement after US v Windsor: Considerations for Michigan,” Oakland County Family Court, October 24, 2013
  • “Marriage Equality after 2013 US v Windsor: Supreme Court Decision,” AAML Webinar, September 11, 2013
  • “Prenuptial Agreements: The Elephant in the Room,” Attorneys for Family-Held Enterprises 2013 Annual Conference, April 26, 2013, Chicago, Illinois
  • “My Impressions and Experience Attending the Oral Arguments in the U.S. Supreme Court,” a gathering of LGBT professionals and allied community members, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, Grand Rapids, Michigan, March 23, 2013
  • 11th Annual Family Law Institute, ICLE, Plymouth, Michigan, November 15-16, 2012
  • “Negotiating and Drafting Property Settlement Agreements,” ICLE, October 23, 2012
  • “Update on Michigan Family Law Cases, Court Rules and Administrative Orders,” Michigan Judges Association, August 21, 2012

Frequently lectures for:

  • American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers – State and National Seminars
  • International Academy of Family Lawyers– International Seminars
  • Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Family Law Institute (organizing committee)
  • Michigan Family Court Forum (organizing committee)

watch my videos

      My Best Work

      •  Perhaps my most rewarding custody case resulted in the reunion of a young father and his then six year old son who had been removed from father’s care at age 4 and taken out of state and kept from father for two years in violation of court orders. The mother told the young boy that his father was dead. On the day that custody was obtained, I stood near the father as the young boy ran and literally jumped into his father’s open arms.
      • The most satisfying property and support case involved delivering to a wife in a long term marriage a substantial property settlement and spousal support award based upon a business valuation and establishment of husband’s income. In this long-term marriage with an imbalance of power, the husband threatened the wife that she would end up “a bag lady on the streets” if she divorced him. We were able to secure the wife’s future and also help restore her self-confidence and sense of self-worth.    
      Image for Richard A. “Ric” Roane

      Richard A. "Ric"
      Roane

      • Partner
      rroane@wnj.com
      Grand Rapids
      T 616.752.2367
      F 616.222.2367

      My admin

      Biography|
      Credentials

      Family law issues are the great equalizer – they are stressful and emotional, no matter how high-net worth or professionally powerful the person experiencing them might be. When clients walk through the door, some aspect of their lives has become messy. I find it incredibly rewarding to be able to help remove the disarray and discord, reestablish a sense of order and offer our clients a clear roadmap to a more serene, secure and certain future.

      Ric Roane has been practicing family law and domestic relations litigation for more than three decades. He focuses on divorce, complex business valuation and asset distribution, non-marital domestic relationships, domestic relations mediation, arbitration and collaborative law, spousal support, child custody and support, pre-nuptial agreements and LGBTQ+ family issues. Ric is a former chair of Warner’s Family Law Practice Group.

      industries

      practices

      • “Alimony and the Use of Experts to Level the Playing Field,” 23rd Annual Family Law Institute, ICLE, November 15, 2024
      • “The Gender Creative Child: Emerging LGBTQ Issues Impacting Family Law Practice,”  American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Michigan Chapter Seminar, May 2, 2024
      • “Grappling with LGBTQA and Particularly Transgender Issues Impacting Family Law,” American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyer Kentucky Chapter 25th Annual Family Law Seminar, Louisville, Kentucky, April 24, 2024
      • “Deception in Divorce: How It Impacts Trust, Discovery, and Negotiations,”
      • “Alimony and the Use of Experts to Level the Playing Field,” 23rd Annual Family Law Institute, ICLE, November 15, 2024
      • “The Gender Creative Child: Emerging LGBTQ Issues Impacting Family Law Practice,”  American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Michigan Chapter Seminar, May 2, 2024
      • “Grappling with LGBTQA and Particularly Transgender Issues Impacting Family Law,” American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyer Kentucky Chapter 25th Annual Family Law Seminar, Louisville, Kentucky, April 24, 2024
      • “Deception in Divorce: How It Impacts Trust, Discovery, and Negotiations,” 21st Annual ICLE Family Law Institute Seminar, November 17-18, 2022
      • Approaching Prenuptial Agreements Positively, Family Office Exchange Webinar, September 18, 2019
      • Prenup Workshop, Family Business Alliance, Grand Rapids, Michigan, February 14, 2019
      • “Who is a Parent and who is a Child in a Same Sex Family – Legislation and Judicial Issues for LGBT Families Post-Separation from European and US Perspectives,” International Academy of Family Lawyers European Chapter Meeting, Lisbon, Portugal, March 24, 2017
      • One Year After Obergefell – Impact on Michigan Families, State Bar of Michigan Young Lawyers Section Annual Legal Summit, June 4, 2016
      • The Changing Face of Today’s Family and its Impact on Family Law, ICLE Family Law Institute, Novi, Michigan, November 12, 2015
      • AAML Webinar: After Obergefell, November 2015
      • “No More Same Sex Marriage – Marriage is Marriage. Period!,” “A Marriage Equality Update after Obergefell,” Grand Rapids, Michigan, July 2015; Kansas City, Missouri, September 2015; Portland, Oregon, October 2015; Novi, Michigan, November 2015; Atlanta, Georgia, December 2015
      • “Marriage Equality Legal Update” and “Family Court Motion Practice: Dos and Don’ts From Seasoned Practitioners,” 13th Annual ICLE Family Law Institute, Novi, Michigan, November 13-14, 2014
      • “Marriage Equality Legal Update,” American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois, November 5, 2014
      • ICLE Advanced Day-Long Property Settlement Drafting Seminar, St. John’s, Michigan, October 23, 2014
      • “Marriage Equality Legal Update,” Michigan Judicial Institute Annual Referee’s Conference, Lansing, Michigan, October 16, 2014
      • “Marriage Equality Legal Update,” Davenport University paralegal students, September 22, 2014
      • “The Marriage Equality Movement after US v Windsor: Considerations for Michigan,” Family Court Forum, June 6, 2014
      • “Hague Convention International Child Custody Disputes: The Meaning of Continuing Exclusive Jurisdiction,” AAML, May 1, 2014
      • “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do: New Rights, New Solutions in a Post-DOMA World,” AICPA/AAML Conference on Divorce, April 23 and 25, 2014, Las Vegas, Nevada
      • “The Marriage Equality Movement after US v Windsor: Considerations for Michigan,” Bloomfield Hills MIPA Roundtable, April 3, 2014
      • “The Marriage Equality Movement Update after US v Windsor and Subsequent State and Federal Rulings and Actions,” Michigan State Bar Family Law Section Winter Conference, February 3, 2014, Peter Island, British Virgin Islands
      • “Preparing a Client for Negotiation or Mediation in a Family Law Matter,” ICLE Family Law Institute, November 15, 2013
      • “Marriage Equality Considerations After Repeal of DOMA,” ICLE Family Law Institute, November 14, 2013
      • “The Marriage Equality Movement after US v Windsor: Marriage Equality vs Prohibition States,” AAML National Meeting, November 9, 2013, Chicago, Illinois
      • “The Marriage Equality Movement after US v Windsor: Considerations for Michigan,” Oakland County Family Court, October 24, 2013
      • “Marriage Equality after 2013 US v Windsor: Supreme Court Decision,” AAML Webinar, September 11, 2013
      • “Prenuptial Agreements: The Elephant in the Room,” Attorneys for Family-Held Enterprises 2013 Annual Conference, April 26, 2013, Chicago, Illinois
      • “My Impressions and Experience Attending the Oral Arguments in the U.S. Supreme Court,” a gathering of LGBT professionals and allied community members, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, Grand Rapids, Michigan, March 23, 2013
      • 11th Annual Family Law Institute, ICLE, Plymouth, Michigan, November 15-16, 2012
      • “Negotiating and Drafting Property Settlement Agreements,” ICLE, October 23, 2012
      • “Update on Michigan Family Law Cases, Court Rules and Administrative Orders,” Michigan Judges Association, August 21, 2012

      Frequently lectures for:

      • American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers – State and National Seminars
      • International Academy of Family Lawyers– International Seminars
      • Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Family Law Institute (organizing committee)
      • Michigan Family Court Forum (organizing committee)

      watch my videos

          My Best Work

          •  Perhaps my most rewarding custody case resulted in the reunion of a young father and his then six year old son who had been removed from father’s care at age 4 and taken out of state and kept from father for two years in violation of court orders. The mother told the young boy that his father was dead. On the day that custody was obtained, I stood near the father as the young boy ran and literally jumped into his father’s open arms.
          • The most satisfying property and support case involved delivering to a wife in a long term marriage a substantial property settlement and spousal support award based upon a business valuation and establishment of husband’s income. In this long-term marriage with an imbalance of power, the husband threatened the wife that she would end up “a bag lady on the streets” if she divorced him. We were able to secure the wife’s future and also help restore her self-confidence and sense of self-worth.