What are the Residency Requirements for a Divorce in Michigan?

Before filing for divorce in Michigan, you must meet both of the below statutory residency requirements:

1. County Requirement: You (or your spouse) must reside in the county you wish to file for at least ten (10) consecutive days prior to filing for divorce. Hence, if you have only resided in the county you wish to file for nine (9) days, you must wait until you have resided there for ten (10) days to file. Alternatively, if your spouse has resided in the county you wish to file for ten (10) consecutive days, then you have met the statutory requirement necessary to file for divorce. So long as one spouse has met the statutory requirement, then you can file for divorce.

1. State Requirement: In addition to residing in the county for ten (10) days, you (or your spouse) must also reside in the State of Michigan for at least one hundred and eighty (180) consecutive days prior to filing for divorce. Again, so long as one spouse has met the requirement, then you can file for divorce in Michigan.

If you have questions or concerns as to whether you meet the statutory requirements necessary to file for divorce in Michigan, you may wish to consult counsel prior to incurring court fees and costs.