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Divorce can be one of life’s most difficult transitions. Even when it’s the right decision, it often means leaving behind the future you had envisioned and navigating an unfamiliar, sometimes daunting, road ahead. The right attorneys can be trusted guides on that path, helping you regain control and shape what lies ahead into something empowering and transformative.
At Alane Family Law, we’ve guided hundreds of clients through the Michigan divorce process, helping them emerge stronger and ready for what’s next. Whether you’re initiating a divorce or responding to one, we work with you to clarify your options, create a strategy aligned with your goals, and advocate for you at every step. We focus on protecting what matters most to you while guiding you toward a future you can look forward to. If you’re ready to take the next step or simply want to learn about your options, schedule a consultation today.
To file for divorce in Michigan, either you or your spouse must have lived in Michigan for at least 180 days before filing, and in the county where you are filing for at least 10 days. After one spouse files, that spouse must notify the other spouse of the divorce action. Depending on how the other spouse was served, they may have 21 or 28 days to file an answer with the court and send it to the spouse who filed for divorce.
If you and your spouse do not have minor children together, your divorce could be final in as little as 60 days after the divorce was filed. If you do have minor children, your divorce can be final in 180 days (or less, if waiting would pose an undue hardship, but never less than 60 days). More often, though, divorces take longer than the minimum time due to court scheduling and because it takes time to settle all the issues in a divorce.
Michigan is a no-fault divorce state, which means that neither spouse needs to prove wrongdoing on the part of the other to be granted a divorce. You only need to state that there has been a breakdown of the marriage relationship with no reasonable likelihood of reconciliation. Fault still matters in a Michigan divorce; it may still affect the division of property or spousal support (alimony). But spouses don’t need to position themselves as adversaries just to get a divorce.
If you have minor children, child-related issues, such as child custody and parenting time and child support, will need to be resolved before you can divorce. Common questions about the Michigan divorce process include:
Michigan uses a system of equitable distribution of marital property in divorce. That means that marital property is divided between the spouses in a way that is fair under all the circumstances. An equitable division may not be exactly 50/50, but it is usually fairly close. Only marital property is divided; separate property, such as that owned by one spouse before the marriage, is not usually subject to division in divorce–although important exceptions abound. How assets, accounts, etc., are titled does not control whether the property is deemed marital or separate. For example, if you and your spouse have had separate bank accounts during the marriage, that does not mean the money in the accounts is not marital property.
Spousal support, often referred to as alimony, is not automatic in a Michigan divorce. Divorcing spouses may agree to spousal support, or the court may decide to award spousal support at one spouse’s request. Michigan does not have a numerical formula for calculating spousal support. Rather, the court must consider the length of the marriage, each party’s age and ability to work, fault, and several other factors. Awards of spousal support are modifiable after the divorce unless the parties agree otherwise.
Divorce becomes even more complicated when domestic violence, or allegations of domestic violence, are involved. Alane Family Law works diligently to protect victims of domestic violence and their children in a divorce and defends the interests of those unjustly accused of domestic abuse.
The great majority of divorces are resolved by settlement, which is almost always easier on the divorcing spouses and their children. Divorce isn’t a one-size-fits-all proposition, and there are a variety of options for reaching resolution, depending on your unique needs. A divorce can be settled at any point in the legal process, and many couples reach a settlement even before one spouse files for divorce. It is only in the event that you and your spouse cannot resolve all issues in dispute that the divorce must go to trial.
Fortunately, you don’t have to reach agreement or face court on your own.
You and your spouse can negotiate the terms of your divorce on your own or with the help of your attorneys. Reaching the broad strokes of an agreement on your own is an excellent start, but it is important to be certain that you understand the legal, financial, and personal implications of every provision in your agreement before signing it. Common pitfalls include correctly dividing retirement accounts, designing a spousal support provision, and important matters related to custody, parenting time, and child support.
Retaining an attorney to fine-tune the details of your settlement ensures that you know what you are agreeing to and prevents errors that may be not only permanent, but more costly than working with an attorney in the first place.
Divorce negotiation looks different for every couple, but you can expect some combination of communicating with your spouse, then getting advice from your attorneys; attorneys discussing details of proposed settlement terms with each other and seeking approval from you and your spouse; and four-way meetings between you, your spouse and your attorneys to discuss resolutions.
Because you and your spouse may have different goals, it would be a conflict of interest for one attorney to represent both of you in a divorce. One of you may choose to have an attorney while the other does not, but you should be aware that an attorney’s duty is to act in the best interest of the client who hired him or her, not the other spouse.
Mediation uses a trained, neutral third party to help you and your spouse clarify and resolve disputed issues in your divorce. The mediator is not a judge, so the mediator does not make judgments or decide your case. Instead, he or she helps you and your spouse reach mutually acceptable resolutions that work for your family. You can work with a mediator before or after filing for divorce. The attorneys at Alane Family Law are available to serve as family law mediators or to advocate for their divorce clients during the mediation process.
Collaborative divorce is a process that helps you and your spouse reach agreement with the support of a customized team of trained divorce professionals that may include divorce coaches, a financial neutral, and a child specialist, in addition to attorneys. Alane Family Law was the first law firm in the Lansing area to offer this dispute resolution option.
Litigation is the traditional divorce process overseen by the courts. It culminates in a trial if no settlement is reached. Litigation often involves more conflict than other methods of dispute resolution, but sometimes it is the best choice when one spouse can’t or won’t work with the other to reach a settlement or when an unequal power dynamic makes doing so impossible.
At Alane Family Law, we take a peace- and resolution-oriented approach to divorce practice whenever possible because that is often less stressful and more productive. But we are also litigators and formidable advocates in the courtroom.
Divorce changes everything—but with the right guidance, it can also be the beginning of something stronger. You deserve an attorney who will not only fight for the best possible outcome, but also stand beside you with the support, clarity, and strategy you need at every step. Let Alane Family Law help you protect what matters most and build the future you deserve—starting today.
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