With more than 26 years of experience, Mr. Rifkin has been recognized year-after-year as one of the state’s and the country’s best family law lawyers, including by Best Lawyers in America, the oldest and most respected national peer-review publication in the legal profession. Mr. Rifkin annually has been named to Michigan Super Lawyers (including 2018 Top 100 Super Lawyers and Top 50 Consumer Lawyers), dBusiness TopLawyers, and as a Martindale-Hubble AV Preeminent attorney for more than ten consecutive years. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (where he serves on the Board of Managers, the Board of Examiners, and as the Membership Chairman), and he is an adjunct professor of law at Michigan State University College of Law.
Mr. Rifkin successfully has resolved hundreds of cases in state and federal courts in Michigan, Colorado, Illinois, and California. He knows how to get his clients through the divorce process thoughtfully, privately, and with a plan for the future — from the initial consultation to the final judgment and then for many years after, all the way through retirement.
Professional Recognition
• Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
• Best Lawyers in America
• Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating AV PreeminentTM 5.0 out of 5
• Michigan Super Lawyers (including 2018 Top 100 Super Lawyers and Top 50 Consumer Lawyers)
• Avvo 10.0 Superb
• dBusiness Magazine Top Lawyers
• Crain’s Detroit Business Top Lawyers
• Adjunct Professor of Law, Michigan State University College of Law
Speaking Engagements & Presentations
• Persuading the Court: Obtaining a Disparate Property Award, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Annual Michigan Advanced Family Law Seminar, May 3, 2018
• Representing a Client in a Custody, Parenting Time, and Support Trial, Institute of Continuing Legal Education Webinar, January 26, 2018
• Property Settlement: Payment Terms, Default, Acceleration, and Collateral, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Annual Michigan Advanced Family Law Seminar, May 4, 2017
• Moderator, Intermediate/Advanced Track, 15th Annual ICLE Family Law Institute, November 10-11, 2016
• Tax Tips for Practitioners, 15th Annual ICLE Family Law Institute, November 10-11, 2016
• Separate Property in Michigan, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Annual Michigan Advanced Family Law Seminar, May 10, 2016
• Tax Aspects of Divorce, Institute of Continuing Legal Education Webinar, November 24, 2015
• Divorce Discovery, Fundamentals of Divorce Practice & Procedure, September 22, 2015
• Running Your Family Law Practice, Institute of Continuing Legal Education Webinar, June 10, 2015
• Michigan Property Division Statutes, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Annual Michigan Advanced Family Law Seminar, May 7, 2015
• Technology, Social Media, and Family Law, Oakland County Bar Association Bench-Bar Conference, April 24, 2015
• Guest Lecturer, Nuts and Bolts of Estate Planning, University of Michigan Law School, Prenupital and Postnuptial Marital Agreements, February 23, 2015
• The Ultimate Evidence Refresher, Family Law Institute, 13th Annual, November 13, 2014
• From Vodvarka to Shade and Everything In Between, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Annual Michigan Advanced Family Law Seminar, May 1, 2014
• Double Dipping: What is the Right Approach?, Family Law Institute, 12th Annual, November 14, 2013
• Discovery in Divorce Cases, Fundamentals of Divorce Practice & Procedure, September 10, 2013
• Making a Spousal Support Claim Based on Net Cash Flow Analysis, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Annual Michigan Advanced Family Law Seminar, May 2, 2013
• Successfully Offering Real Evidence at Trial, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Annual Michigan Advanced Family Law Seminar, May 3, 2012
• Divorce Discovery, Fundamentals of Divorce Practice & Procedure, September 8, 2011
• Family Law Bench-Bar Issues, Oakland County Bar Association Bench-Bar Conference, April 2007
Publications & Press
• Matrimonial Attorney Took a Different Route, Oakland Legal News, 2012
• Chapter 1 Update, Family Law Practice Issues, 2002 Supplement, § 1.35, ICLE Michigan Family Law Practice, 2002
• Beyond Rinvelt: Where Do Prenuptial Agreements Go from Here?, Laches (OCBA), 2001
• Full Protection for the Injured Ward: Ensuring That Guardian and Conservator Fees Are Paid by the PIP Insurance Carrier, Michigan Bar Journal, 2000
• Shop with Care: Choosing a Forum in Recreational Accident Cases, Laches (OCBA), 1999
• Liability of the Physician in Charge, Michigan Bar Journal, 1994
• When Doctors Go Bare: Compensation Beyond the Underinsured Physician, Michigan Bar Journal, 1999
Associations & Appointments
• Oakland County Bench-Bar Conference Family Law Committee, Oakland County Circuit Court, April 2015
• Fellow, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 2011-present
• Fellow, Oakland County Bar Foundation, 2011-present
• Member, University of Michigan Alumni Association, 1987-present
• Member, Colorado Bar Association, 1994-present
• Member, Michigan Bar Association, 1992-present
• Member, Oakland County Bar Association, 1992-present
• Oakland County Bench-Bar Conference Family Law Committee, Oakland County Circuit Court, February 2007
• Court-Appointed Civil Litigation Mediator, Oakland County Circuit Court, March 1999 – 2002
• Wayne County Circuit Court Civil Mediation Tribunal, February 1999 – 2002
• Invited Judge, University of Michigan Law School Moot Court Oral Argument Competitions, various years from April 1998 – present
• Invited Judge, University of Michigan Law School Annual Client Counseling Competitions, February 1996 – 2003
Professional History and Personal Background
Mr. Rifkin began his professional training as a medical school student. In medical school, he tried to improve how patients experienced healthcare, knowing that the best doctors are only as good as how well they treat their patients. During that time, Mr. Rifkin’s friends in law school helped him discover his passion for law. Now, Mr. Rifkin brings that same people-centric approach to his law practice by helping each client navigate the legal, financial, and emotional issues in a divorce.
Mr. Rifkin earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics (with Honors) from the University of Michigan. Mr. Rifkin then studied for another year at the University of Michigan medical school. After that, he went on the University of Michigan Law School, where he won the Henry M. Campbell Moot Court Competition and earned his Juris Doctor degree from one of the top 10 law schools in the nation.
In 2016, after practicing family law for sixteen years at one of the premier domestic relations firms in the U.S., Mr. Rifkin and Mark Bank opened their own matrimonial law firm — Bank | Rifkin — where Mr. Rifkin is a partner specializing in complex financial and matrimonial matters, family law issues, and long-term financial and estate planning after a divorce is finalized. Mr. Rifkin has served for many years as an adjunct professor of law at Michigan State University, and he is a frequent lecturer and commentator on family law and divorce issues. Mr. Rifkin frequently is sought out by other family law attorneys to serve as a mediator or arbitrator for their clients’ divorce cases.
Mr. Rifkin lives in Birmingham, Michigan with his three children and his wife, who is an immigration and trademark attorney. In his free time, Mr. Rifkin skis, cycles, plays tennis, squash, hockey, and coaches his sons’ football teams. Mr. Rifkin also spends lots of fall Saturdays in Ann Arbor, watching the University of Michigan football team.
