Michigan
Divorce, lawyers, and free legal help in Michigan — verified against official sources.
How divorce filing works in Michigan
Michigan Legal Help — the court-endorsed statewide self-help site — offers a do-it-yourself divorce tool that prepares your forms and filing instructions through an online interview. Start there before anything else.
Michigan Legal Help — Do-It-Yourself Divorce
The official starting point: an online interview that builds your divorce forms and instructions.
michiganlegalhelp.org — DIY divorce →Find a divorce lawyer
State Bar of Michigan — Lawyer Referral Service
Call (800) 968-0738 (Mon–Fri, 8:30–5). A $25 administrative fee covers a 25-minute consultation.
michbar.org — lawyer referral →New to hiring a lawyer? Read Start Here first — it covers what to ask and what to bring.
Free or low-cost legal help
Michigan Legal Help
Michigan's official statewide self-help and legal-aid website, with a full family-law resource library.
michiganlegalhelp.org →Report Child Abuse or Neglect
Call MDHHS Centralized Intake at 1-855-444-3911 to report child abuse or neglect.
michigan.gov — child advocate →Call 211
Free, confidential referrals to local help. Dial 211 from any phone.
211.org →Unpaid wages in Michigan
Your boss owes you pay and won't hand it over? Here's where to file and how long you have in Michigan.
Where to go
Michigan Wage and Hour Division (Dept. of Labor and Economic Opportunity)
Time limit to file
12 months (3 years for min-wage/overtime claims)
What the floor is
$13.73 (2026)
Changing your name in Michigan
Whether it's marriage, divorce, or just time for a fresh start — here's the process in Michigan.
How it works
petition the Family Division of the Circuit Court
Typical court fee
~$175
Newspaper notice required?
yes — unless the court grants nonpublication
Small claims court in Michigan
Suing someone without a lawyer, for smaller amounts, in a simpler court. Here's how it works in Michigan.
Maximum claim
$7,000
Filing fee
$30–$70 depending on claim size
Can you bring one?
no
Clearing your criminal record in Michigan
Expungement or sealing can hide eligible arrests and convictions from background checks. Here's where Michigan stands.
Can records be cleared?
yes — expungement (set aside), including automatic
What qualifies
up to 3 felonies and unlimited misdemeanors (most nonviolent offenses)
Waiting period
3–7 years depending on offense
Learn more about clearing your criminal record in Michigan →
Child support in Michigan
How child support gets calculated — and when it ends — in Michigan.
How it's figured
income shares (Michigan Child Support Formula, MCSF) state publishes the Michigan Child Support Formula Manual
When it ends
age 18, or up to 19 1/2 if still attending high school full time
Lemon law in Michigan
Bought a new car that's constantly in the shop? Michigan's lemon law may get you a refund or a replacement.
Which vehicles qualify
new motor vehicles only (purchased or leased)
When it's legally a lemon
4+ repair attempts for same defect or 30+ days out of service within first year (or warranty term)
What you get
refund of purchase/lease price or comparable replacement vehicle
Tenant rights in Michigan
Renting comes with rights most people never hear about until something goes wrong. Here are the key ones in Michigan.
Notice before eviction
one rental period (typically 30 days) to end month-to-month; 7-day notice to pay or vacate for nonpayment
Deposit limits & return
1.5 months' rent maximum; returned within 30 days with an itemized list of deductions
When the landlord won't fix things
no broad repair-and-deduct right for residential tenants; rent escrow and court remedies allowed
DUI / DWI in Michigan
Driving under the influence carries some of the stiffest penalties in everyday law. Here's how Michigan handles it.
Blood alcohol (BAC) limit
0.08; enhanced 'super drunk' penalties at 0.17
Typical penalties
up to 93 days in jail, $100-$500 fine, 30-day suspension plus 150 days restricted driving
How far back DUIs count
lifetime
Gun laws in Michigan
Gun laws vary a lot from state to state — what's perfectly legal in one state can be a crime in another. Here's the big picture for this state. Laws change often, so double-check anything before you act.
Carrying a concealed handgun
Permit required (Concealed Pistol License); shall-issue, age 21
Carrying openly
Generally allowed without a permit (18+; heavily restricted in vehicles without a CPL)
Background checks & waiting periods
Private sales: Universal background checks required (all firearms, since Feb 2024) No waiting period.
Extreme risk protection
Yes. Courts can temporarily order firearms removed from someone found to be a danger.
Reciprocity
Recognizes all valid out-of-state resident permits.
Filming the police: your rights in Michigan
Federal appeals courts across the country have recognized a First Amendment right to photograph and record police officers performing their official duties in public. The U.S. Supreme Court has not ruled on it directly. The right does not protect interfering with officers, trespassing, or breaking other laws while you record.
One-party consent
If you are part of a conversation, you may record it — including with police. (Mich. Comp. Laws § 750.539c)
No buffer-zone law
Michigan has no law setting a minimum distance for filming police. You still must not interfere with officers doing their jobs.
Michigan's eavesdropping statute is written broadly, but courts have long applied a 'participant exception' — if you are a party to the conversation you may record it (Sullivan v. Gray, 117 Mich. App. 476 (1982)). Filming on-duty police in public is treated as First Amendment-protected; no Michigan law specifically restricts recording officers.
Drug & alcohol addiction help in Michigan
Addiction is a health issue, and help is out there — including court programs that can send people to treatment instead of jail. No insurance needed to call.
SAMHSA National Helpline
Free, confidential referrals to treatment — call 1-800-662-4357 (English & Spanish).
Human trafficking victims in Michigan
If you or someone you know is being forced to work or forced into sex against their will, you are a victim of a crime and help is available — immigration status does not matter.
National Human Trafficking Hotline
Call 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733 — free, confidential, for victims and anyone who suspects trafficking.
Bullying in Michigan
Every state has an anti-bullying law, and every school must have a plan. If your child is being bullied, document what happens and report it in writing to the school — and know what your state’s law requires.
Homelessness help in Michigan
If you are homeless or at risk of losing your housing, help is close by. Shelters, food, health care, and long-term housing programs exist in every community.
211 homeless services
Dial 211 and press 6 for homeless services in your area.
VA homeless veterans
Homeless veterans: call the VA National Call Center at 1-877-424-3838 (877-4AID-VET), 24/7.
Deed fraud & squatters in Michigan
Thieves can forge a deed to steal your home’s title — many counties offer free recording alerts that notify you if anything is filed against your property. And if someone is living in your property without permission, your state has specific rules for removing them: you generally cannot just change the locks.
FBI: protect your property from deed fraud
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center alert on parcel-owner impersonation →