Divorce

Michigan is a “no-fault” state which means you don’t need to provide or prove a reason for your divorce. By state law, a court must find that there has been a breakdown of the marital relationship to the extent that there is no reasonable likelihood that the parties can maintain the marriage.

In all Michigan divorce cases, there is a 60-day waiting period from the time you initiate your court action until the day the court can legally grant your divorce. With children, the court will not grant your divorce until at least 6 months have passed although there are times when the court will waive this waiting period.

While these are the minimums, most marriages take much longer to dissolve than these statutory waiting periods. Spouses must negotiate details from the marriage and determine how to allocate assets, property and parenting time with children after the divorce is final.

Most divorce cases take 6-9 months to complete, although some complicated situations take longer.

Photo by Jackson Simmer on Unsplash

The process of ending a marriage is not just a legal one but also an emotional one. Your lawyer should be someone you trust to guide you through the ups and downs of this highly vulnerable time.

Choose someone who is guided by your best interests and understands your personal and family goals. Many people interview several divorce attorneys before choosing one to work with. Ask questions about the issues that are most important to you. Make sure your personalities, styles and values align.

At Transitions Legal, every divorce case is unique because the people and the circumstances are unique. We favor non-combative approaches to divorce like Collaborative Divorce and Mediation, but we take whatever legal path is necessary to achieve our clients’ goals. We are specially trained in Gray Divorce and founding partner Alisa Peskin-Shepherd employs the Insight Approach to Conflict Resolution in every approach to family law.