Prepare For What’s Ahead With A Metro Detroit Divorce Attorney

Last updated on October 1, 2026

A divorce takes a heavy toll. It can disrupt your living situation and, most devastatingly, strain your relationship with your children.

Our lead divorce attorney, Rachel P. Anderson, understands your difficult situation and fights to lessen its impact on your life. At Cannon Law PLC, she and our relentless team will work to help you move forward with informed guidance.

Your Options For A Divorce In Michigan

Navigating a Michigan divorce requires choosing a path that aligns with your goals. The method you select sets the tone for your proceedings for the next several months. It directly impacts how you transition into the next chapter of your life.

In Michigan, the methods for divorce include:

• Uncontested divorce: Allows spouses who agree on all major terms, including asset division, child custody and alimony, to finalize their divorce without court intervention.
• Contested divorce: When disputes over assets or parenting time cannot be resolved independently, a contested divorce involves litigation in which a judge will issue the final decree.
• Collaborative divorce: A team-based, out-of-court approach where both parties and their attorneys sit down to negotiate a settlement based on compromise.
• Mediation: Both spouses and their divorce lawyers sit down with a neutral mediator who facilitates mutually satisfactory agreements on major issues.

Collaborative law and mediation give you greater control over the property distribution and other key factors. They also allow you to keep the divorce private. Typically, they cost less than traditional divorce litigation.

Conversely, a contested divorce leaves the matter to the discretion of a judge who does not know you. The judge will issue a verdict based on Michigan’s divorce statutes. This option for divorce tends to take much longer; sometimes, months to years.

Understanding The Divorce Process In Michigan

Michigan operates under a no-fault divorce system, meaning your divorce attorney doesn’t need to prove your spouse’s wrongdoing. The court only requires acknowledgment that your marriage has broken down with no reasonable likelihood of repair. While every case is unique, most Michigan divorces follow these general steps:

• Meeting residency requirements: Before starting a divorce, you’ll need to meet specific requirements regarding residency:

• • You must be a resident of the state of Michigan for 180 days or more.
  • You must reside in the county you are filing for 10 days or more.

• Filing the petition: A divorce is initiated by a legal document referred to as a complaint. Depending on what county you reside in, there may be other documents required by the individual court. Once a complaint for divorce is filed, you must follow the following steps and deadlines:

1. 1. Serve the complaint: Your spouse must receive proper legal notification of the divorce filing according to Michigan court rules.
   2. Wait for their response: If personally served, they have to respond within 21 days, and 28 days if they received the papers by mail. In turn, they have an opportunity to file a countercomplaint.
   3. Respond promptly if served: If you have been served with a complaint for divorce, your time to respond is limited. Timely filing of a response to the complaint is critical because you do not want the other party to seek a default judgment against you.

• Engaging in settlement negotiations: Parties can negotiate a divorce settlement related to all issues like spousal support, child custody, parenting time and other property settlement issues. If parties cannot negotiate a settlement, the courts usually require alternative dispute resolutions like mediation. Although alternative dispute resolution may not be appropriate for all cases, including some cases where there is a history of coercive control or domestic violence. If parties cannot come to an agreement on the terms of their divorce, they have a right to a trial before a judge. Our attorneys recognize the delicate balance between resolving a divorce in an equitable manner but are not afraid to push issues to the court should your ex be unreasonable.
• Completing the discovery period: During the divorce process, you will have the opportunity to discover things. If your spouse is hiding information from you, whether it’s financial or personal affairs, you will have the opportunity to make them provide you with the missing information during the divorce process.
• Finalizing your divorce: Your divorce agreement must be finalized in writing in what is referred to as a judgment of divorce. The judgment of divorce is a very important document because it finalizes all of the agreements you and your ex have come to. It is critical the judgment is written in a manner that requires your ex to follow the agreements, including things like child support, parenting time and the sale of real property, like a marital home.

In Michigan, parties without minor children can be divorced within 60 days, while parties with minors can be divorced after 180 days. For parties with children, there is the possibility of getting a divorce sooner than 180 days, depending on your specific circumstances.

Once the judgment is entered, this document will dictate how things move forward between you and your spouse. Having an experienced Birmingham divorce attorney write and review this document for you is critical.

Are Fault-Based Divorces Possible In Michigan?

Michigan is a no-fault divorce state, meaning courts don’t consider marital misconduct when granting a divorce. However, in some situations, fault factors can still influence decisions regarding property settlement.

When it comes to custody and parenting time, the court considers “fault” factors by evaluating what are called the best interest factors. Those best interest factors require the court to take in consideration the parent’s behavior in the context of a parent-child relationship. For example, the best interest factors require the court to consider the moral fitness of both parents.

What Requirements Are Needed Before Filing For Divorce In Michigan?

To be eligible to make a divorce filing in Michigan, one spouse needs to have lived in the state for no fewer than 180 days and in the county of filing for a minimum of 10 days. You also need to show that your marriage has broken down with no reasonable chance of repair.

What Should You Look For In A Michigan Divorce Attorney?

Finding the right divorce attorney can be challenging. It is important to find the right fit for you because navigating a divorce can be one of the most emotionally challenging periods of time in your life. Your divorce attorney should be someone you can work with in times when you are feeling most stressed.

Depending on the needs of your case, you also want to make sure your attorney is available to give you and your case the time you believe it deserves.

Why Work With Our Team Of Divorce Lawyers?

Our firm does not adhere to a high-volume caseload. We accept a limited number of clients and provide a personalized service. We are available for phone calls and meetings. You will be dealing directly with attorneys most of the time. In addition, you will have the benefit of experienced attorneys both in and out of the courtroom. Attention to the details of your legal issue is important to us. We regularly handle complex issues such as high-asset divorce, same-sex divorce, gray divorce and post-judgment divorce modifications.

When you consult with our office, whether it’s by phone and/or meeting, we are not giving you a sales pitch; we actually talk about your case. We will review a limited number of documents in advance of the meeting as well. For this reason, we do not offer free consultation but, of course, are happy to have a short phone call. Most people point out our phone calls provide more information than any consultation they have experienced.

Child Custody Lawyers Who Put Your Children First

Our law firm adheres to a holistic and child-centered approach to your child custody issues. Our philosophy is that financial stability, whether for a single person or a parent, is also a basic right when negotiating a divorce settlement. Divorce is not just a legal process; it becomes a transition that impacts every aspect of a person’s life. Entrusting us with your future is invaluable, especially when children are involved.

Speak With A Caring Michigan Divorce Lawyer Today

Schedule a consultation at our Birmingham family law office today. Call us at 248-929-9750 or complete our secure online contact form to reach out.