Michigan Divorce Information and
FAQ
The only grounds upon which a divorce may be granted in the State of
Michigan is that there has been a breakdown of the marriage relationship
to the extent that the objects of matrimony have been destroyed and there
remains no reasonable likelihood that the marriage can be preserved. 552.6
Residency Requirements At least one of the parties to an action for
divorce must have resided in the State of Michigan for at least 180 days
immediately prior to the filing of the complaint and must have resided in
the county of filing for at least 10 days immediately prior to the filing
of the complaint. This requirement may be waived, however, if the
defendant was born in or is a citizen of a foreign country and the parties
have minor children that are at risk of being taken out of the U.S.. 552.9
Name of court and title of action/parties An action for divorce is
filed in Circuit Court. The title of the action initiating the divorce is
the Complaint for Divorce, while the title of the action granting the
divorce is referred to as the Judgement of Divorce. The party filing the
action for divorce is the Plaintiff, while the other party to the action
is referred to as the Defendant. 552.6
Legal Separation A judgement of legal separation may be granted in the
State of Michigan upon the same grounds as for a judgement of divorce.
552.7 Alimony Either party may be ordered to pay alimony to the other
party in an amount and for a term that the court deems reasonable. 552.13
Distribution of Property The court will divide the property of the
parties as it deems equitable under the particular circumstances of the
case. All of a party's property is subject to division if the court
determines that the other party contributed to the acquisition,
improvement, or accumulation of the property. 552.401
Child Custody Custody will be awarded by the courts after consideration
of the child's best interests. Factors the court will consider in
determining the child's best interests include: (a) The love, affection,
and other emotional ties existing between the parties involved and the
child.
(b) The capacity and disposition of the parties involved to give the
child love, affection, and guidance and to continue the education and
raising of the child in his or her religion or creed, if any.
(c) The capacity and disposition of the parties involved to provide the
child with food, clothing, medical care or other remedial care recognized
and permitted under the laws of this state in place of medical care, and
other material needs.
(d) The length of time the child has lived in a stable, satisfactory
environment, and the desirability of maintaining continuity.
(e) The permanence, as a family unit, of the existing or proposed
custodial home or homes.
(f) The moral fitness of the parties involved.
(g) The mental and physical health of the parties involved.
(h) The home, school, and community record of the child.
(i) The reasonable preference of the child, if the court considers the
child to be of sufficient age to express preference.
(j) The willingness and ability of each of the parties to facilitate
and encourage a close and continuing parent-child relationship between the
child and the other parent or the child and the parents.
(k) Domestic violence, regardless of whether the violence was directed
against or witnessed by the child.
(l) Any other factor considered by the court to be relevant to a
particular child custody dispute.
Child Support The State of Michigan has enacted child support
guidelines which establish the amount of support which is presumed to be
correct. The court may deviate from the guidelines however, upon a written
finding that the application of the guidelines would be unjust or
inappropriate. In addition, if reasonable available, health care coverage
must be obtained for the child subject to a support order. 552.16 Name
Change Upon request, the court may restore the woman to the use of a
former or maiden name if the request is not for any fraudulent or evil
purpose. 552.391
Acme Ada Addison Addison Township Adrian
Afton Ahmeek Akron Alanson Alba Albion Alden Alger Algonac Allegan Allen
Allen Park Allendale Allenton Allouez Alma Almont Almont Township Alpena
Alpha Alto Amasa Anchorville Ann Arbor Ann Arbor Township Applegate
Arcadia Argyle Armada Armada Township Arnold Ash Twp Ashley Athens Atlanta
Atlantic Mine Atlas Attica Au Gres Au Sable Au Train Auburn Auburn Hills
Augusta Augusta Township Avoca Azalia Bad Axe Bailey Baldwin Bancroft
Bangor Bannister Baraga Barbeau Bark River Baroda Barryton Barton City
Barton Hills Bath Battle Creek Bay City Bay Crest Bay Harbor Bay Port Bay
Shore Bay View Bear Lake Beaver Island Beaverton Bedford Beechwood Belding
Bellaire Belleville Bellevue Belmont Bentley Benton Harbor Benzonia
Bergland Berkley Berlin Berlin Township Berrien Center Berrien Springs
Berville Bessemer Beulah Beverly Hills Big Bay Big Rapids Bingham Farms
Birch Run Birmingham Bitely Black River Blanchard Blaney Park Blissfield
Bloomfield Bloomfield Hills Bloomfield Township Bloomfield Village
Bloomingdale Bois Blanc Island Boon Borculo Boyne City Boyne Falls Bradley
Brampton Branch Brandon Brant Breckenridge Breedsville Brethren Bridgeport
Bridgewater Bridgman Brighton Brighton Township Brimley Britton Brockway
Brockway Township Brohman Bronson Brooklyn Brown City Brownstown
Brownstown Township Bruce Bruce Crossing Bruce Township Brunswick Brutus
Buchanan Buckley Burlington Burnips Burr Oak Burt Burt Lake Burtchville
Burtchville Township Burton Byron Byron Center Cadillac Cadmus Caledonia
Calumet Camden Canadian Lakes Cannonsburg Canton Canton Township Capac
Carland Carleton Carney Caro Carp Lake Carrollton Carson City Carsonville
Cascade Casco Casco Township Caseville Casnovia Caspian Cass City
Cassopolis Cedar Cedar Lake Cedar River Cedar Springs Cedarville Cement
City Centennial Heights Center Line Central Lake Centreville Ceresco
Champion Channing Charlevoix Charlotte Chase Chassell Chatham Cheboygan
Chelsea Chesaning Chesterfield Chesterfield Township China China Township
Chippewa Lake Christmas Clare Clarklake Clarkston Clarksville Clawson Clay
Clay Township Clayton Clifford Climax Clinton Clinton Township Clio
Cloverdale Clyde Clyde Township Cohoctah Coldwater Coleman Coloma Colon
Columbiaville Columbus Columbus Township Comins Commerce Commerce Township
Comstock Comstock Park Concord Cone Conklin Constantine Conway Cooks
Coopersville Copemish Copper City Copper Harbor Coppersville Coral Cornell
Corunna Cottrellville Cottrellville Township Covert Covington Crooked Lake
Cross Village Croswell Croton Crystal Crystal Falls Curran Curtis Custer
Cutlerville Dafter Daggett Dansville Davisburg Davison De Tour Village
Dearborn Dearborn Heights Decatur Decker Deckerville Deerfield Deerton
Deford Delhi Delray Delton Detroit Detroit Beach Dewitt Dexter Dexter
Township Dimondale Dixboro Dodgeville Dollar Bay Dorr Douglas Dover
Dowagiac Dowling Drayton Plains Drayton Plns Drummond Island Dryden Duck
Lake Duncan Dundee Durand Dutton Eagle Eagle Harbor Eagle River East China
East China Township East Detroit East Grand Rapids East Jordan East
Kingsford East Lansing East Leroy East Tawas Eastlake Eastmanville
Eastpointe Eastport Eaton Rapids Eau Claire Eben Junction Eckerman Ecorse
Edenville Edmore Edwardsburg Elberta Elk Rapids Elkton Ellsworth Elm Hall
Elmira Elsie Elwell Emmett Emmett Township Empire Engadine Erie Erie
Shores Escanaba Essexville Eureka Evart Ewen Fair Haven Fairgrove Fairview
Falmouth Fargo Farmington Farmington Hills Farwell Felch Fennville Fenton
Fenwick Ferndale Ferrysburg Fibre Fife Lake Filer City Filion Flat Rock
Flint Flushing Forest Hills Forest Lake Forestville Fort Gratiot Fort
Gratiot Township Foster City Fostoria Fountain Four Mile Lake Fowler
Fowlerville Frankenmuth Frankfort Franklin Fraser Frederic Free Soil
Freedom Township Freeland Freeport Fremont Frontier Fruitport Fulton
Gaastra Gagetown Gaines Galesburg Galien Garden Garden City Gay Gaylord
Genesee Genoa Township Germfask Gibraltar Gilford Gladstone Gladwin Glen
Arbor Glendora Glenn Glennie Gobles Goetzville Good Hart Goodells Goodison
Goodrich Gould City Gowen Grand Beach Grand Blanc Grand Haven Grand
Junction Grand Ledge Grand Marais Grand Rapids Grandville Grant Grant
Township Grass Lake Grawn Grayling Green Oak Township Greenbush Greenland
Greenville Greenwood Greenwood Township Gregory Grindstone City Grosse Ile
Grosse Pointe Grosse Pointe Farms Grosse Pointe Park Grosse Pointe Shores
Grosse Pointe Woods Gulliver Gwinn Hadley Hagar Shores Hale Hamburg
Hamilton Hamtramck Hancock Hanover Harbert Harbor Beach Harbor Point
Harbor Springs Hardwood Harper Woods Harrietta Harris Harrison Harrison
Township Harrisville Harsens Island Hart Hartford Hartland Hartland
Township Harvey Haslett Hastings Hawks Hazel Park Hemlock Henderson
Hermansville Herron Hersey Hesperia Hessel Hickory Corners Hickory Isle
Higgins Lake Highland Highland Park Highland Township Hillman Hillsdale
Holland Holly Holt Holton Homer Honor Hope Hopkins Horton Houghton
Houghton Lake Houghton Lake Heights Howard City Howell Hoxeyville Hubbard
Lake Hubbardston Hubbell Hudson Hudson Mills Hudsonville Hulbert
Huntington Woods Huron Township Ida Idlewild Imlay Imlay City Independence
Independence Township Indian River Ingalls Inkster Interlochen Ionia Ira
Ira Township Iron Mountain Iron Mtn Iron River Irons Ironwood Ishpeming
Ithaca Jackson Jamestown Jasper Jeddo Jenison Jerome Johannesburg Jones
Jonesville Kalamazoo Kaleva Kalkaska Karlin Kawkawlin Kearsarge Keego
Harbor Kendall Kenockee Kenockee Township Kent City Kenton Kentwood
Kewadin Keweenaw Bay Kimball Kimball Township Kincheloe Kinde Kingsford
Kingsley Kingston Kinross L Anse L' Anse La Salle Lachine Lacota
Laingsburg Lake Lake Angelus Lake Ann Lake City Lake George Lake Isabella
Lake Leelanau Lake Linden Lake Nepessing Lake Odessa Lake Orion Lakeland
Lakeport Lakeside Lakeview Lakeville Lakewood Club Lambertville Lamont
L'Anse Lansing Lapeer Lathrup Village Laurium Lawrence Lawton Le Roy
Leland Lennon Lenox Lenox Township Leonard Leonidas Leroy Leslie Levering
Lewiston Lexington Lima Center Lima Township Limestone Lincoln Lincoln
Park Linden Linwood Litchfield Little Lake Livonia Loch Alpine Lodi
Township London Township Long Lake Loretto Lowell Luce Township Ludington
Lum Luna Pier Lupton Luther Luzerne Lyndon Township Lynn Lynn Township
Lyons Macatawa Mackinac City Mackinac Island Mackinaw City Macomb Macomb
Township Madison Heights Mancelona Manchester Manistee Manistique Manitou
Beach Manton Maple City Maple Rapids Marcellus Marenisco Marine City
Marion Marlette Marne Marquette Marshall Martin Marysville Mason Mass City
Mattawan Maybee Mayfield Mayville Mc Millan McBain McBrides McMillan Mears
Mecosta Melvin Melvindale Memphis Mendon Menominee Merrill Merritt
Merriweather Mesick Meskegon Metamora Michiana Michigamme Michigan Center
Middleton Middleville Midland Mikado Milan Milan Township Milford Milford
Township Millbrook Millersburg Millington Minden Minden City Mio Mohawk
Moline Monroe Montague Montgomery Montrose Moorestown Mooreville Moran
Morenci Morley Morrice Moscow Mosherville Mott Park Mount Clemens Mount
Morris Mount Pleasant Muir Mullett Lake Mulliken Munger Munising Munith
Muskegon Muskegon Heights Mussey Nadeau Nahma Napoleon Nashville National
City National Mine Naubinway Nazareth Negaunee New Baltimore New Boston
New Buffalo New Era New Haven New Hudson New Lothrop New Troy Newaygo
Newberry Newport Niles Nisula North Adams North Branch North Lakeport
North Manitou North Muskegon North Star North Street Northeast Northfield
Township Northland Northport Northport Point Northville Northville
Township Northwest Norton Shores Norvell Norway Nottawa Novi Novi Township
Nunica Oak Grove Oak Park Oakland Oakland Township Oakley Oakville Oden
Okemos Old Mission Olivet Omena Omer Onaway Onekama Onondaga Onsted
Ontonagon Orchard Lake Orion Orion Township Orleans Ortonville Oscoda
Oshtemo Osseo Ossineke Otisville Otsego Ottawa Lake Otter Lake Ovid
Owendale Owosso Oxford Painesdale Palmer Palms Palmyra Palo Paradise
Parchment Paris Parma Paw Paw Peacock Pearl Beach Peck Pelkie Pellston
Pentwater Perkins Perrinton Perronville Perry Peshawbestown Petersburg
Petoskey Pewamo Pickford Pierson Pigeon Pinckney Pinconning Pittsfield
Township Pittsford Plainwell Pleasant Lake Pleasant Ridge Plymouth Podunk
Pointe Aux Barques Pointe Aux Pins Pompeii Pontiac Port Austin Port Hope
Port Huron Port Huron Township Port Sanilac Port Sheldon Portage Portland
Posen Potterville Powers Prattville Prescott Presque Isle Princeton
Prudenville Pullman Putnam Township Quincy Quinnesec Raco Ralph Ramsay
Rankin Rapid City Rapid River Ravenna Rawsonville Ray Ray Township Rea
Reading Redford Redford Township Reed City Reese Remus Republic Rhodes
Richland Richmond Richmond Township Richville Riga Riley Riley Township
Ripley River Rouge Riverdale Riverside Riverview Rives Junction Rochester
Rochester Hills Rock Rockford Rockland Rockwood Rodney Rogers City Rollin
Romeo Romulus Roosevelt Park Roscommon Rose City Rosebush Roseville
Rothbury Roulo Royal Oak Royal Oak Township Ruby Rudyard Rumely Russell
Island Ruth Saginaw Sagola Saint Charles Saint Clair Saint Clair Shores
Saint Clair Township Saint Helen Saint Ignace Saint James Saint Johns
Saint Joseph Saint Louis Salem Saline Samaria Sand Creek Sand Lake Sand
Point Sandusky Sanford Sang Saranac Saugatuck Sault Sainte Marie Sawyer
Schaffer Schoolcraft Scio Scio Township Scotts Scottville Sears Sebewaing
Selfridge Air National Guard Seneca Seney Shaftsburg Sharon Sharon Hollow
Shelby Shelby Township Shelbyville Shepherd Sheridan Sherwood Shingleton
Sidnaw Sidney Silverwood Six Lakes Skandia Skanee Skidway Lake Smiths
Creek Smyrna Snover Sodus Somerset Somerset Center South Boardman South
Branch South Haven South Lyon South Manitou South Range South Rockwood
Southeast Southfield Southfield Township Southgate Spalding Sparta Spring
Arbor Spring Lake Springfield Springfield Township Springport Spruce
Stalwart Stambaugh Standale Standish Stanton Stanwood Stephenson Sterling
Sterling Heights Stevensville Stockbridge Stony Creek Stronach Strongs
Sturgis Sumner Sumpter Township Sunfield Superior Township Suttons Bay
Swartz Creek Sylvan Lake Sylvan Township Tawas City Taylor Tecumseh
Tekonsha Temperance Thompson Thompsonville Three Oaks Three Rivers Tipton
Toivola Topinabee Tower Traunik Traverse City Trenary Trenton Trout Creek
Trout Lake Troy Trufant Turner Tuscola Tustin Twin Lake Twining Ubly
Unadilla Union Union City Union Lake Union Pier Unionville University
Center Utica Van Buren Township Vandalia Vanderbilt Vassar Vermontville
Vernon Vestaburg Vicksburg Vulcan Wabaningo Wakefield Waldron Wales Wales
Township Walhalla Walker Walkerville Wallace Walled Lake Walloon Lake
Waltz Warren Washington Washington Township Waterford Waterford Township
Waters Watersmeet Watervliet Watton Wayland Wayne Webberville Webster
Weidman Wells Wellston Wequetonsing West Bloomfield West Branch West Olive
Westland Weston Westphalia Westwood Wetmore Wheeler White Cloud White Lake
White Pigeon White Pine Whitehall Whitmore Lake Whittaker Whittemore
Williamsburg Williamston Williamsville Willis Willow Willow Run Wilson
Winn Wixom Wolverine Wolverine Lake Woodhaven Woodland Woodland Beach
Woodland Park Worth Township Wyandotte Wyoming Yale Yankee Springs York
Township Ypsilanti Zeeland
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