Yes, you can file for divorce online in Michigan through MiFILE, the state’s electronic filing system for trial courts. Most circuit courts accept e-filed divorce paperwork, and some require it. What online filing does not do is finish the divorce for you. You still have to serve your spouse separately, wait out a statutory period, and appear in court at least once before a judge will sign your Judgment of Divorce.
Check Residency Before You File
At least one spouse must have lived in Michigan for 180 consecutive days before the filing date, and that same spouse must have lived in the filing county for at least 10 days.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code MCL 552.9 – Judgment of Divorce; Residency Requirement; Exception You and your spouse cannot waive these requirements by agreement.
Michigan is a no-fault state. You do not have to allege adultery, cruelty, or any other misconduct. The complaint simply states, in the statute’s language, that the marriage has broken down to the point where it cannot be preserved.2Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code MCL 552.6 – Complaint for Divorce
What You Need to File
Two documents start the case: a Complaint for Divorce and a Summons. The State Court Administrative Office publishes the approved Summons form (MC 01).3Michigan Courts. MC 01 Summons Michigan Legal Help offers a guided interview that generates completed forms from your answers, which cuts down on clerk rejections.
The Complaint has to include specific information:4Michigan Courts. Michigan Judicial Institute Divorce Checklist
- Each spouse’s pre-marriage name, current address, email, and phone number
- Whether there are minor children of the marriage, their ages, where they live, and any other custody proceedings involving them
- Whether either party is currently pregnant
- Whether there is property to be divided
- Whether any pending or resolved family cases exist in the same court
If related family cases do exist in the same court, you also file a case inventory listing them alongside the complaint.
How to Submit Through MiFILE
MiFILE handles electronic filing for Michigan trial courts, the Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court.5Michigan Courts. MiFILE The sequence is straightforward:
- Register for an account on the MiFILE portal with your name, email, and contact details.
- Select the circuit court in the county where you meet the 10-day residency requirement.
- Upload the Complaint for Divorce, the Summons, and any other required forms as digital files.
- Pay the filing fee electronically during submission.
A clerk reviews what you submit. If anything is incomplete or formatted wrong, the filing is rejected and you correct and resubmit. A successful filing produces a case number and stamped copies of your documents. You will need those stamped copies to serve your spouse.
Filing Fees and Fee Waivers
Michigan’s statutory fees depend on whether minor children are involved:6Michigan Courts. Circuit Court Fee and Assessments Table
- Divorce without minor children: $175, made up of a $150 civil filing fee plus a $25 electronic filing system fee
- Divorce with minor children: $255, which adds an $80 custody and parenting time fee to the base amounts
Counties sometimes add local surcharges on top. Ottawa County, for example, charges a flat $230 for a new divorce or custody filing.7Ottawa County, MI. Filing Fees Confirm the number with your county clerk before you pay.
If the fee is out of reach, use the Fee Waiver Request form (MC 20). You qualify automatically if you receive means-tested public assistance such as SNAP, Medicaid, FIP/TANF, WIC, or SSI, or if a legal aid program represents you. The court can also waive fees when your gross household income is below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines or when paying would cause financial hardship.8Michigan Courts. MC 20 Fee Waiver Request
Serving Your Spouse
Filing does not notify your spouse. You have to formally serve them with the stamped Complaint and Summons, and you cannot hand the papers over yourself. Michigan court rules require service by a legally competent adult who is not a party to the case.9Michigan Courts. Michigan Court Rules – MCR 2.103 In practice that means a professional process server, a sheriff’s deputy, or any other adult over 18 who is not involved in your case. Fees from private process servers typically run from $20 to $200.
You have 91 days from the date the Summons issues to complete service, or the case may be dismissed.10Michigan Legal Help. How to Serve Divorce Papers After service, file a Proof of Service with the court to document that the papers were delivered correctly.
The Waiting Period and Your Spouse’s Response Window
Michigan law bars the court from taking testimony or evidence until a mandatory period runs from the filing date:11Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code MCL 552.9f – Proofs or Testimony; Time for Taking
- 60 days with no minor children
- 6 months (180 days) with minor children under 18
Those are floors. Contested cases involving property, custody, or support regularly take longer because of negotiation, document exchange, and sometimes mediation.
Your spouse has their own clock. Served in person inside Michigan, they get 21 days to file an Answer. Served by mail or outside the state, 28 days.12Michigan Legal Help. How to File an Answer and Counterclaim to a Complaint for Divorce with Children If they do not respond at all, you can ask the court for a default and move the case forward without them, though you still appear at a hearing where a judge reviews your proposed terms before signing.
You Still Have to Appear in Court
This is where people get caught off guard. E-filing covers the paperwork, but Michigan law requires evidence of the breakdown of the marriage to be presented in open court before a judge grants the divorce.2Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code MCL 552.6 – Complaint for Divorce At minimum you will testify to the court’s jurisdiction, whether either party is pregnant, the breakdown of the marriage, and how property should be divided.4Michigan Courts. Michigan Judicial Institute Divorce Checklist
In an uncontested case where both spouses have agreed on everything, the hearing can be short. Some courts have allowed video testimony since the pandemic, but that varies by county and judge. Plan on attending at least one hearing before the Judgment of Divorce is signed.