What are the residency requirements for filing for divorce in Michigan?

Anna Tsaturova

Michigan managing attorney at Marble Law

Published August 14, 2024 · 3 min read

Key Takeaways

There are two residency requirements to file for divorce in Michigan.
First, at least one spouse must have lived in Michigan for no less than 180 days.
Second, at least one spouse must have lived in the county where the divorce is filed for at least 10 days.

If you’re considering a divorce in Michigan, before you do anything, check how long you’ve lived in the state and your county.

See, you must meet certain residency requirements in order for Michigan to have jurisdiction over your divorce. Jurisdiction simply means the legal authority to decide a case.

Michigan has two residency requirements. In order to file for divorce in the state at least one spouse must have:

Lived in the state for at least 180 days.
Lived in the county where the divorce is filed for at least 10 days.

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There are a few exceptions to the county residency requirement. If all of the following is true, you can file for divorce even if you or your spouse has lived in the county in which you’re filing for less than 10 days:

The defendant (the person not filing for the divorce) was born in or is a citizen of a country other than the United States.
You and your spouse have a minor child or children.
You can show the court that there’s a risk your spouse (the defendant) will take your child(ren) out of the U.S. and hold them in another country.