Fault

What Are "Grounds For Divorce" In Michigan?

Michigan is a "no-fault" divorce state.  This means there is only one grounds for divorce in this state based upon the family law statutes.  The legal ground for divorce in Michigan is specifically as follows "there has been a breakdown of the marriage to the extent that the objects of matrimony have been destroyed and there remains no reasonable likelihood that the marriage can be preserved".  In fact, this is the only ground that a person filing for divorce (the plaintiff) is allowed to state in the Complaint for Divorce (the main document that one must file in order to start a divorce proceeding). 

The statute further states that the plaintiff is not allowed to provide a statement involving the graphic details behind the breakdown.

Fault and Divorce in Michigan 

When handling divorce matters, the issue of fault often comes up.  In Michigan, by law, there are many types of fault that the court may consider when dividing property or awarding alimony.  One form of fault that is unfortunately present in many divorce cases is emotional and verbal abuse.

Emotional and Verbal Abuse

In many cases there are issues surrounding emotional or verbal abuse.  This can be a very serious form of abuse from name calling to constantly berating the other spouse as a means for control.

Fault and Divorce in Michigan 

When handling divorce matters, the issue of fault often comes up.  In Michigan, by law, there are many types of fault that the court may consider when dividing property or awarding alimony.  The primary type of fault that most people think of when it comes to the topic of divorce is infidelity however another type of fault that often comes into play in this cases is economic fault or waste.

Economic Fault or Waste

Economic fault or waste most often involves cases where one party has gambled away significant portions of the marital funds or estate without the consent of the other party, where one party has wasted funds on drug abuse or alcoholism or one party has wasted significant funds pursuing an extramarital relationship.  There are other types of economic fault as well.