Our dedicated West Bloomfield divorce attorneys help Michigan couples resolve property division, custody, and support through both contested and uncontested proceedings.
Key Takeaways:
- Marital debt can follow you after divorce even if your spouse agreed to pay it.
- Retirement accounts earned during marriage count as marital property under Michigan law.
- Direct attorney access at The Friedman Law Firm means no handoffs during your case.
You spent years building something together. The house, the retirement accounts, the shared debts, the financial decisions made as a couple. When a marriage ends, the question isn’t just how to divide it, but how to make sure you don’t walk away with less than you’re entitled to simply because you didn’t know how the process worked.
Michigan’s divorce process has specific requirements, timelines, and financial rules that affect what you’re owed and what you’re responsible for. What looks like a straightforward split rarely is once you get into the details.
At The Friedman Law Firm, our West Bloomfield divorce attorneys bring over 70 years of combined experience to cases like yours. We explain what Michigan law actually means for your specific situation, help you understand what you’re entitled to, and give you a clear path forward from the first conversation.
Book your no-cost consultation today.
What Michigan’s Divorce Process Requires Before Anything Is Finalized
Before a Michigan divorce can move forward, a few baseline requirements must be met. Understanding them early prevents delays.
- Residency: At least one spouse must have lived in Michigan for a minimum of 180 days before filing, and in the county of filing for at least 10 days.
- No-fault grounds: Michigan doesn’t require either spouse to prove wrongdoing. The grounds are simply that the marriage has broken down and there’s no reasonable likelihood of it being preserved.
- Waiting periods: Couples without minor children face a mandatory 60-day wait before a divorce can be finalized. Couples with minor children face a six-month wait, though a judge can shorten it in limited circumstances.
How Michigan Courts Divide What You and Your Spouse Built Together
Michigan follows an equitable distribution model, which means property division rules are based on fairness rather than an automatic 50/50 split. Understanding that distinction is one of the most important things you can do before entering negotiations.
What counts as marital property? Generally, assets and debts acquired during the marriage are subject to division. Property you brought into the marriage, or received individually as a gift or inheritance, may be treated differently — though how those assets were managed over the years can affect how they’re classified:
The family home – When both spouses have equity in the home, the court evaluates options including a buyout, a deferred sale, or a sale with proceeds divided equitably. This is often the most emotionally charged financial decision in the process, and it deserves careful, clear-headed planning.
Retirement accounts – Contributions made to 401(k)s, pensions, and IRAs during the marriage are typically considered marital property. Dividing them requires specific legal instruments that must be drafted correctly to avoid significant tax consequences. Errors in this area are difficult to fix after the fact.
Marital debt – Joint debt doesn’t disappear after divorce. Even if your spouse agrees to pay a joint credit card or loan, creditors can still come after you if payments aren’t made. How debt is handled in your agreement matters as much as how assets are divided.Custody and Support: What West Bloomfield Parents Need to Know
For divorcing parents, custody often carries more weight than any financial issue. Michigan divides custody into two components: legal custody, which governs major decisions about your child’s education and healthcare, and physical custody, which governs where the child lives. Both can be shared jointly or awarded to one parent based on the child’s best interests.
Child support in Michigan is calculated using a specific formula tied to each parent’s income and the custody arrangement. Our skilled West Bloomfield divorce attorneys dig into those numbers carefully, because what looks like a standard calculation can shift meaningfully when all income sources and parenting time arrangements are correctly accounted for.
Spousal support (alimony) is handled separately and depends on the specifics of your marriage, your earning capacity, and the length of time you were together.
What You Can Expect From Our West Bloomfield Divorce Attorneys
The Friedman Law Firm approaches every divorce with the understanding that the decisions made now will shape your financial and family life for years to come. Here are some differentiators you won’t find with other firms:
- 70+ years of combined experience – Our team brings deep familiarity with Michigan’s divorce process, how courts evaluate contested issues, and what a realistic resolution looks like given the facts of your case.
- Direct attorney access – You’ll have a direct line to the attorney handling your matter. When you have a question, you get an answer from the person who actually knows your file.
- Honest financial guidance – We tell you what you’re entitled to and what to be realistic about. You’ll understand how alimony works in Michigan, how child support is calculated, and how property is divided before you make any decisions.
- Payment plans available – Divorce is expensive enough without adding financial stress to an already difficult situation. We offer flexible payment options so quality legal support remains accessible when you need it most.
The decisions made in a divorce are hard to undo. Our dedicated West Bloomfield divorce attorneys are here to make sure you make them with a full picture of what’s at stake. Book your no-cost consultation today and let’s build a plan that actually protects you.