Divorce in Michigan
Divorce is the court-ordered termination of a marriage. When the judge signs an order of divorce, it means the marriage ceases to exist and the parties are free to remarry. Individuals have the right to represent themselves in the legal proceedings. The legal term for representing oneself is "pro se," pronounced "pro say,"� which is Latin for "on your own behalf."
Bear in mind that pro-se representation is not a good idea for everyone. It is important to understand that by representing yourself, you may be jeopardizing important rights. It is very important for you to find out, for instance, if your spouse has a pension, retirement account, insurance, or other significant assets before you decide whether to file for divorce on your own.
If you do not ask or negotiate for such things during the divorce, you may be giving up a right to them forever. Before you file for divorce on your own, you need to talk to your spouse, if possible, to find out how he/she feels about the divorce and about the issues mentioned above. This will give you an indication about how to proceed.
An uncontested divorce is one in which both sides agree on the divorce, the division of marital property, and if there are children, child custody and visitation issues. In a contested divorce, the parties disagree about one or more of the above issues, which must be negotiated through mediation, arbitration, or collaborative divorce, or through litigation in the courts.
In Michigan, the person who files for divorce is referred to as the Plaintiff and the other spouse is called the Defendant.
Divorce Forms
Self-Prepared
| Michigan Divorce | $59.00 |
| MI MSA | $39.00 |
| MI Divorce & MSA Combo (best value) | $89.00 |
Paralegal-Prepared
| Michigan Divorce | $199.00 |
| MI MSA | $99.00 |
| MI Divorce & MSA Combo (best value) | $249.00 |
Try before you buy
Special: Now through the end of May take 10% off self-prepared documents or 15% off Paralegal-prepared documents! Use promotional code newday
