The state of Michigan is a no-fault divorce state, which means that you cannot contest the actual divorce.
However, you can still contest other items within your actual divorce proceedings.
Common disagreement issues
The Law Dictionary states that many people contest items related to children and money. While you may contest the reasons for the actual divorce, you may have more say in other areas. You can contest every item in the divorce or only a few.
You may contest the visitation schedule, child custody and support amounts in the original serving. The court uses a variety of factors to determine what is in the best interests of your children to determine custody and visitation arrangement. Income largely contributes to the amount of child support you pay or receive.
Another hotly debated item revolves around finances. Dividing marital property includes more than just which one of you stays in the family home. Retirement and savings accounts need division along with any other material assets.
Divorce proceeding expectations
If you contest your divorce, you can expect the process to become contentious. Negotiating terms can become difficult as emotions rise. Each person can hire an attorney, go through mediation or both to come to an equitable resolution.
The court may require testimonials from people such as neighbors and family members to understand the contested issues. In some divorces, experts can help provide the court information to support your claim on a particular issue such as finances.
The process can go back and forth with each side rebutting the other’s claims against them. Each claim may resolve at a different rate than the others.