Reviewed July 2026
Filing for Divorce in Michigan
A plain-language look at how divorce works under Michigan law: who can file, how long it takes, what it costs, and where Michigan's own court forms and self-help resources are.
Virdix's document-preparation product currently prepares divorce paperwork for California cases only. This page explains how the process works under Michigan law, using Michigan's own court forms and self-help resources, for people researching before they file. It is not legal advice, and Virdix does not prepare or file Michigan divorce paperwork. See how Virdix works for California divorces.
Michigan's waiting period is not a single number: it's 60 days for childless couples but jumps to a full 6 months when minor children are involved, and the first 60 days of that period can never be waived by a court even if both spouses agree and a settlement is signed early. Michigan also layers a dual residency test, 180 days statewide plus a separate, non-waivable 10-day county residency requirement that courts treat as jurisdictional rather than a matter of convenience. Unlike states with a single numbered petition form, Michigan divorces are filed on the state's general-purpose Summons and Complaint forms (MC 01 / MC 01a) captioned for a domestic relations action, not a dedicated 'Petition for Divorce' form. Parenting education requirements (the widely-used 'SMILE' class) are not set by state statute at all, they exist because individual county Friend of the Court offices impose them locally, so requirements and format genuinely vary county to county.
Grounds for divorce in Michigan
No-fault grounds
- Breakdown of the marriage relationship to the extent the objects of matrimony have been destroyed with no reasonable likelihood the marriage can be preserved, the sole ground
Michigan has no fault-based grounds (adultery, cruelty, desertion, etc.) remaining on the books for divorce.
Source: legislature.mi.gov
Who can file: residency rules
At least one spouse must have resided in Michigan for 180 days (approximately 6 months) immediately before filing. Separately, either spouse must have resided in the county where the complaint is filed for 10 days immediately before filing (this county requirement is jurisdictional, not waivable by agreement). If the cause for divorce occurred outside Michigan, the complainant or defendant must have resided in Michigan for one full year before filing.
MCL 552.9
Source: legislature.mi.gov
How long it takes
Mandatory statutory waiting period after filing before a judgment can be entered: 60 days for cases with no minor children, 6 months (180 days) for cases with minor children. Courts may shorten the balance of the 180-day period (down to a minimum of 60 days) for 'unusual hardship or compelling necessity,' but the first 60 days can never be waived by any court, even by stipulation of the parties.
MCL 552.9f
Source: legislature.mi.gov
That figure is the statutory floor, not a promise. Service, exchanging financial disclosures, and the court's own hearing calendar routinely add time on top of it, and a contested case takes longer than an uncontested one regardless of the minimum. California, by comparison, requires a mandatory six month waiting period from the date of service.
Cost and filing fees
$175 for a divorce complaint with no minor children ($150 civil filing fee + $25 electronic filing system fee). $255 for a divorce complaint with minor children ($150 + $25 + $80 custody/parenting-time fee). These are set by state statute (not county-variable), though a Friend of the Court service fee of $3.50/month may also apply in cases involving support. Confirm current amount with the filing circuit court, as fee schedules are updated periodically (this data reflects the February 2025 Circuit Court Fee and Assessments Table).
Source: courts.michigan.gov
California's own statewide filing fee is generally $435 to $450 statewide, with a fee waiver available for those who qualify.
Divorce forms and papers
The petition
Michigan does not use a single state-numbered divorce 'petition' form the way some states do. Filing is done using the general SCAO Summons (form MC 01) and Complaint (form MC 01a), captioned for a domestic relations (divorce) action, supplemented by domestic-relations-specific attachments (e.g., Verified Statement, and if applicable Friend of the Court forms) drawn from the SCAO Domestic Relations forms category.
Source: courts.michigan.gov
Fee waiver
Form MC 20, 'Affidavit and Order, Suspension of Fees/Costs' (also referred to as 'Fee Waiver Request'), filed under MCR 2.002. Automatically approved for applicants receiving means-tested public assistance (SNAP, Medicaid/Healthy Michigan, TANF, WIC, SSI); otherwise evaluated against 125% of federal poverty guidelines.
Source: courts.michigan.gov
Michigan publishes fillable forms for this process.
California uses standardized Judicial Council forms, starting with the Petition (Form FL-100), across every county. See California's own divorce forms.
Filing online
Statewide system (MiFILE) exists and attorneys are required to e-file. Self-represented litigants may e-file voluntarily in most participating courts but are generally NOT required to, though individual courts can petition SCAO for authority to mandate e-filing for self-represented filers too, so requirements can vary by court. Not a single uniform statewide mandate for pro se filers.
Source: courts.michigan.gov
Uncontested and simplified divorce
Michigan offers a distinct simplified or summary track.
Michigan has a streamlined 'summary proceeding for entry of a consent judgment' track for uncontested divorces: both spouses file jointly (or one files and the other consents) with a complete marital settlement agreement covering property, custody/support (if applicable), and support/alimony. This is not a separate short-marriage/low-asset simplified statute with hard eligibility caps (unlike some states), it is available whenever both spouses agree on all terms, and still subject to the standard 60-day/6-month waiting periods.
Source: michiganlegalhelp.org
California's equivalent is uncontested divorce in California, which uses the same statewide forms as any other case but moves faster once both spouses agree on every term.
Filing without a lawyer
Michigan allows self-represented filers, and most divorces filed in the state proceed this way. Because Virdix prepares paperwork for California cases only, a Michigan filer handling their own case works directly from Michigan's own forms and self-help materials rather than a Virdix-prepared packet. Michigan's official self-help resources are the direct source for the current forms and instructions.
For how self-representation works in the state Virdix does serve, see divorce without a lawyer in California and DIY divorce vs. hiring a lawyer.
More about divorce in Michigan
How property is divided
Equitable distribution. Michigan courts divide marital property based on fairness rather than a 50/50 presumption, weighing factors including length of marriage, contributions of each spouse, economic circumstances, and (unusually among no-fault states) fault/conduct during the marriage such as concealment or dissipation of assets can influence the division.
Source: legislature.mi.gov
Court structure
Divorce cases are filed and heard in the Circuit Court's Family Division for the county of filing. The Friend of the Court (FOC) office within each circuit handles support, custody, and parenting-time enforcement functions ancillary to the divorce case.
Spousal support
No fixed numeric formula/guideline. Courts award spousal support under MCL 552.23 based on judicial discretion applying up to 14 non-exclusive statutory factors (length of marriage, age/health of parties, earning capacity, career/education sacrifices, prior standard of living, conduct, etc.).
Source: legislature.mi.gov
Child support guideline
Income Shares model under the Michigan Child Support Formula (MCSF), authorized by MCL 552.605. Combined net parental income is run through the MCSF support tables (updated periodically in the published Michigan Child Support Formula Manual) to produce a base obligation, allocated proportionally between parents.
Source: courts.michigan.gov
Parenting class requirement
Not required by statute statewide.
Not a single statewide statutory mandate. Most (not all) Michigan circuit courts require a parenting education class (commonly branded 'SMILE', Start Making It Livable for Everyone) for divorces involving minor children, but this is imposed by local court order/Friend of the Court policy on a county-by-county basis, not by a uniform state statute. Confirm requirement and format (in-person vs. online) with the specific county's Friend of the Court office.
Source: milivcounty.gov
California is the only state on this site with a full county-by-county breakdown. See how California's divorce process compares across its 58 counties.
This page is general information about Michigan divorce procedure, not legal advice for your situation. Laws, fees, and forms change over time; confirm current details with Michigan's own courts before relying on anything here. Virdix is not a law firm, is not licensed to practice law in Michigan, and does not prepare or file Michigan divorce paperwork. It is not a substitute for an attorney licensed in Michigan.