Michigan Legal Guides
26 guides covering Michigan topics, each with Caselaw search beside the article.
Where to search Michigan lawFree caselaw search for Michigan — search by citation, case name, or legal issue, with full text and PDFs.
- Adverse Possession in Michigan
Michigan adverse possession: 15 years under Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5801. Elements, taxes, color of title, and linked Michigan opinions.
- Are Joint Wills Irrevocable In Michigan?
A joint will is a rarely seen document, in which a husband and wife execute one will will for both of them. Under Michigan law, can the surviving spouse, after executing a joint will, make a new will at variance with the joint will? A recen…
- Can I Get Sued After a Car Accident in Michigan? Does Fault Matter?
Michigan car accident lawsuits and fault: modified comparative fault with a 51% bar (recovery barred if you are more than 50% at fault) under MCL 600.2959, when you can sue or be sued, insurance rules, and the statute of limitations (3 years — MCL 600.5805(2)).
- Castle Doctrine in Michigan: Deadly Force Against Intruders
Michigan castle doctrine: when occupants may use deadly force against home intruders, key statutes (Mich. Comp. Laws § 780.951), presumptions, and leading cases.
- Child Custody and Parenting Time in Michigan
How Michigan courts decide custody and parenting time under Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 722.21 to 722.31, including best-interests factors, relocation, and modification.
- DUI Penalties in Michigan
Michigan DUI penalties under Mich. Comp. Laws § 257.625: BAC limits, first-offense range, when a DUI becomes a felony, and ignition-interlock rules.
- How Does Bond Work in Michigan? Bail and Pretrial Release Explained
Michigan bail and bond explained: cash, surety, and ROR. Types of release, what judges consider at a bail hearing, forfeiture risks, and linked Michigan opinions under MCL 765.6 et seq..
- How Does Eviction Work in Michigan?
Michigan eviction / summary proceedings for possession of premises under Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 600.5701 to 600.5759: notices, filing forum, timeline to a writ of possession, and common tenant defenses.
- How Do You Make a Valid Will In Michigan?
To make a valid will under Michigan law, the will must be: In writing; Signed by the testator or by some other person in the testator’s conscious presence and at the testator’s direction; and Signed by at least two witnesses. The req…
- How to Challenge a Will in Michigan
You can challenge a will in Michigan on the following grounds: Lack of property formalities; Undue Influence Lack of Capacity Revocation Lack of Proper Formalities A will can be contested in Michigan if the will does not comply with the req…
- How to File a Lawsuit Without a Lawyer in Michigan: Pro Se Litigation Guide
A practical Michigan guide to representing yourself: what statutes, cases, and rules are; how to draft and file a complaint; how service and MiFILE registration work; discovery; evidence; and how LawDiver helps you research authorities in the corpus.
- How to File for Divorce in Michigan
Michigan divorce filing guide: At least one party must have resided in Michigan for 180 days, and in the filing county for 10 days, before filing. equitable distribution; linked statutes and process overview.
- How to Get a Prison Sentence Reduced in Michigan
Paths to shorten or correct a Michigan prison sentence under MCL 769.1k: modification motions, good-time credits, parole, and post-conviction relief — with linked Michigan opinions.
- How to Modify Child Support in Michigan
Step-by-step guide to modifying a Michigan child support order under MCL 552.17(4), 552.517; Michigan Child Support Formula (MCSF) § 4.05: what counts as a change in circumstances, when changes take effect, and the cases that matter.
- How to Modify Spousal Support in Michigan
Step-by-step guide to modifying spousal support in Michigan under MCL 552.28: changed-circumstances standards, retirement and cohabitation rules, when changes take effect, and the cases that matter.
- Is Abortion Legal in Michigan?
Michigan abortion law after Dobbs: protected access. Fundamental right to reproductive freedom until fetal viability. Linked statutes and Michigan opinions.
- Michigan Child Support Guidelines: How Support Is Calculated
How Michigan calculates child support under Mich. Comp. Laws § 552.605; Michigan Child Support Formula Manual, including the income shares (michigan child support formula), deviations, modification, and leading cases.
- Michigan Evidence Law: Admissibility, Hearsay, and Authenticity
A practitioner guide to Michigan evidence law under the Michigan Rules of Evidence: general admissibility, character evidence, hearsay and its workhorse exceptions, unavailable declarants, depositions at trial, party admissions, dying declarations, medical statements, and a dedicated authenticity section — with case and statute links in the LawDiver corpus.
- Michigan Spousal support: Eligibility, Amount, and Duration
How Michigan courts award spousal support under Mich. Comp. Laws § 552.23: eligibility, statutory factors, duration, and leading cases.
- Security Deposit Return in Michigan
How Michigan landlords must handle residential security deposits under Mich. Comp. Laws §§ 554.601 to 554.616: limits, return deadlines, and wrongful-withholding remedies.
- Stand Your Ground Laws in Michigan
Michigan stand-your-ground overview (statutory stand-your-ground): duty to retreat, statutes, civil immunity, and controlling cases.
- Surviving Spouse Rights Michigan
Michigan law affords certain rights and benefits to surviving spouses (sometimes called widow's rights) including: Intestate Rights Elective Share Homestead Allowance Exempt Property Family Allowance Pretermitted Spouse Rights Understanding…
- The Michigan Path to Expungement
Michigan expungement begins with Mich. Comp. Laws § 780.622, entry of order; effect; use of set aside conviction; "applicant" defined. This guide follows that petition, the records that travel under a different section, and the opinions that have already decided these requests.
- What Happens If I Refuse a Breathalyzer Test in Michigan?
Michigan implied-consent consequences for refusing a chemical breath or blood test under Mich. Comp. Laws § 257.625c, including license suspension and evidence use.
- Who Are Next Of Kin In Michigan?
Under Michigan law, the term “next of kin” is synonymous with “heirs”, “heirs at law”, “relatives”, or “family” when used in an applicable statute or governing instrument. See section 700.2720 of the Michigan Estates and Protected Individua…
- Who Can Serve As Personal Representative In Michigan?
For both formal and informal probate proceedings in Michigan, an order of priority exists for who can serve as personal representative. The term “personal representative includes, but is not limited to, an executor, administrator, successor…