The breakup of a marriage is a difficult experience. The divorce lawyers at Gielow Groom Terpstra & McEvoy’s Muskegon law firm understand the difficulty of divorce and often assist with more than just the legal issues involved in divorce. We can also recommend books on divorce, remedies for divorce stress, and advice on how to help children involved in a divorce.
Michigan is a no-fault divorce state. This means you do not have to prove fault to get a divorce. However, the term “no fault” can be misleading, as a judge may consider fault in deciding spousal support, property, parenting time, or custody.
How quickly your divorce will be completed depends on many factors. When minor children are involved, a divorce cannot be finalized until six months after the complaint is filed. Even if there are no minor children, the process requires a minimum of 60 days. The time starts to count on the day the complaint is filed.
Most divorce cases are settled – the parties eventually reach an agreement, which is entered on the record as an order of the court. You should not agree to anything that you do not understand. After an agreement is placed on the record, as a general rule, it cannot be changed. When you have questions about divorce, our experienced Muskegon divorce lawyers are near and can help clients through divorce proceedings in Muskegon, Grand Haven, Spring Lake, Grand Rapids, and throughout West Michigan.