How long does it take to get a divorce in Michigan?

Anna Tsaturova

Michigan managing attorney at Marble Law

Published August 13, 2024 · 5 min read

Key Takeaways

A divorce without children in Michigan takes at least two months.
A Michigan divorce with children takes at least six months.
Your divorce may take more time, however, depending on the other circumstances of your case.

How long it takes to get a divorce in Michigan varies depending on the specifics of the case. A few things that can impact the length of a divorce include:

Whether you and your spouse share minor children.
If the divorce is contested or uncontested.
Your marital assets.

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Children

At a minimum, a Michigan divorce without children takes at least two months, while a divorce involving kids takes at least six months. This is because Michigan has a waiting period for divorces:

60 days for divorces without children.
180 days for divorces involving children.

This waiting period begins once the divorce complaint is filed. Your divorce can’t be finalized until this time has passed. The point of the waiting period is to give spouses a chance to be sure they want to divorce and possibly reach a settlement on issues of the divorce.

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You may be able to shorten the waiting period in Michigan if you prove to a judge that the waiting would cause unusual hardship to you or your children or if you have “other compelling reasons”. However, everyone faces a waiting period of at least 60 days in Michigan divorces.

Divorces with children may take longer than 180 days because the spouses need to reach an agreement on child custody and support, or have the court determine these. This process can take time and involve the help of experts, such as child psychologists.

Contested vs. uncontested divorce

In a contested divorce, the spouses disagree on one or more issues of the divorce. These cases need to go to trial for a judge to decide the terms of the divorce. Trials can take considerable time, as courts may be backlogged and the parties need to gather evidence and present their sides to the judge.

On the other hand, in an uncontested divorce, the spouses reach an agreement on all terms of the divorce. They may do this themselves or with the help of a mediator or other professionals. While it may take time to hash things out, uncontested divorces tend to take less time than contested divorces because the spouses settle their divorce outside of court.

Marital assets

Marital property must be divided in a divorce. If the couple can’t reach an agreement themselves, they must first determine what is marital property and what is separate property and then have the court decide how to divide the marital assets and debts. If a couple has complex financial issues—such as a business, real estate or investments—it may take longer to determine their value and how to allocate those assets.

Additionally, if a spouse hides their assets in an attempt to keep them from being divided, the other spouse may need to hire a forensic accountant or other experts to help them unearth all of their deceitful partner’s property. This can add additional time to a divorce case.