Michigan Divorce Documents Checklist: Every Form You Need

Michigan divorces run on SCAO (State Court Administrative Office) approved forms. Use the wrong form, miss a required attachment, or submit an incomplete packet, and the clerk sends everything back. This checklist covers every document you'll need from filing through the final judgment.

Initial Filing Packet (Day 1)

Every Michigan divorce starts with these core documents filed at the Family Division of the Circuit Court:

Required for all cases:

• Complaint for Divorce — states the no-fault grounds under MCL 552.6(1), party information, and whether children are involved
• Summons (SCAO Form MC 01) — issued by the clerk; valid for 91 days
• Confidential Case Inventory (SCAO Form MC 21) — lists related family and tribal cases involving the parties or their children
• Record of Divorce or Annulment (MDHHS Form DCH-0838) — vital records reporting form required by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

Additional forms when minor children are involved:

• Verified Statement (SCAO Form FOC 23) — confidential financial and custody information for the Friend of the Court
• UCCJEA Affidavit (SCAO Form MC 416) — documents where the children have lived for the past five years and any other custody proceedings
• Application for IV-D Services (DHS 1201-D) — enables FOC child support enforcement services

Optional at filing:

• Fee Waiver Request (SCAO Form MC 20) — if you can't afford the filing fee ($175 without children, $255 with children)

Service of Process Documents

After the complaint is filed and the summons is issued:

• Proof of Service (back of SCAO Form MC 01) — completed by the person who served the defendant, documenting date, time, method, and location of service
• Motion and Verification for Alternate Service (SCAO Form MC 303) — if standard service methods have failed
• Order for Alternate Service (SCAO Form MC 304) — issued by the judge authorizing service by publication or posting

Financial Disclosure (Within 28 Days of Answer)

• Domestic Relations Verified Financial Information Form (SCAO Form CC 320) — both parties must exchange this under-oath disclosure of all income, assets, and debts
• Supporting documents: four most recent pay stubs, most recent federal and state tax returns with all schedules
• Note: CC 320 exchange is mandatory unless both parties waive it in writing or file a complete consent judgment with the complaint

Friend of the Court Forms (Cases with Children)

The FOC integrates into your case automatically when children are involved:

• Proposed Child Support Order (SCAO Form FOC 10) — uses the Michigan Child Support Formula
• Support Addendum (SCAO Form FOC 10b) — supplements FOC 10 with health insurance and childcare details
• Uniform Child Support Order (FOC 10/10a/10b/10c) — the final support order package

Default Judgment Documents

If the defendant doesn't respond within the 21- or 28-day window:

• Request and Entry of Default (SCAO Form MC 07) — formally places the defendant in default
• Non-Military Affidavit — certifies the defendant is not on active military duty (required by the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act)
• Notice of Hearing — served on the defaulted defendant at least 14 days before the final hearing
• Proposed Judgment of Divorce — also served on the defendant with the hearing notice

Final Judgment Documents

To finalize the divorce after the waiting period:

• Proposed Judgment of Divorce — the comprehensive court order dissolving the marriage and resolving all issues (property, debts, custody, support, insurance, name restoration)
• Record of Divorce or Annulment (DCH-0838) — filed again with the final judgment if not already submitted
• Consent Judgment of Divorce — used when both parties agree on all terms (signed by both)

If children are involved, the judgment must include or be accompanied by:

• Final custody and parenting time provisions
• Child support order (FOC 10 series)
• Health insurance provisions
• SMILE program completion certificate

Post-Judgment Documents

After the judge signs the Judgment of Divorce:

• Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) or Eligible Domestic Relations Order (EDRO) — for dividing retirement accounts (filed separately from the judgment)
• Quitclaim Deed — for transferring real estate between former spouses
• Change of Name documents — if the judgment includes name restoration, you'll need certified copies for Social Security, the Secretary of State, and other agencies

Where to Get the Forms

All SCAO-approved forms are available free through:

• Michigan Legal Help (michiganlegalhelp.org) — automated tools that generate completed forms based on your answers
• Michigan Courts website (courts.michigan.gov) — downloadable PDF forms
• Your county's Circuit Court clerk — paper forms and local instruction sheets
• Court Self-Help Centers — in-person assistance identifying which forms you need

The forms themselves are free. What they don't come with is the sequence — which form to file when, what triggers the next step, and what deadlines each form creates. The Michigan Divorce Filing Process Guide maps every form to its place in the timeline, with a Forms Reference worksheet that tracks which documents you've completed and which are still outstanding.

See more Michigan guides →