Legal Question in Family Law in Michigan

Re: Pro-se Divorce

Your options include:

1. Ask the folks at OfficeMax that sold you the kit. Remember that when you buy a new car, they tell you how to use it. Shouldn't OfficeMax do the same thing?

2. Attend law school.

3. Go to the law library and read up on the proper procedure in divorce cases.

4. Hire an attorney that has invested tens of thousands of dollars in a legal education and many thousands of hours learning the law.

5. See whether you can find a lawyer that will work for free. (Assuming you don't get paid when you go to work, it's only fair that your lawyer shouldn't get paid, right?)

Re: Pro-se Divorce

The short answer is that you must file a complaint for divorce in accordance with the rules of your local court. Searching Michigan's State Court Administrative Office website will give you some ideas to start. However, I of course must suggest you carefully consider your decision to proceed on your own.

The State Bar of Michigan provides a lawyer referral service which will allow you to have a low-cost consultation with an attorney in your area - details are here.

http://www.michbar.org/programs/lawyerreferral.cfm

There are also several legal service organizations throughout the state that may be able to provide you some level of guidance as well.

However, if you are truly determined to proceed without counsel, I think it would be best to get on the same page with your spouse as to where the two of you see the situation going and try to agree on as much as you can. Divorce, like many areas of law, is highly procedural, and it is necessary to avoid procedural defect to ensure all of the contested issues in your case receive a full examination of merit by the court.

I know the prospect of paying legal fees can be daunting, but I would advise you to make some calls and seek out a few consultations. You may find that it is not as expensive as you may think to secure quality legal advice, and protecting your interests in a divorce might be a very worthwhile investment for you.