Legal Services of Eastern Michigan (LSEM) offers a FREE Do-It-Yourself Divorce Clinic for eligible low income clients.
Who is eligible to attend the Clinic? 1. Your income must be below 125% of the poverty level; 2. You and your spouse must not be fighting over your property or your children. 3. There must be no children who were born during this marriage of whom the husband is not the father unless there is a court order that states that the husband is not the father. 4. Neither party may be asking for alimony (spousal support) or for a part of the other person’s pension. 5. You must have at least your spouse’s last known address even if he or she is not currently at that address. 6. Either you or your spouse must have lived in Michigan for a period of at least 180 days and in Genesee or Lapeer County for at least 10 days. What is the Clinic? The Clinic is a group setting of no more than 12 clients. All of the necessary forms for filing and completing the divorce process are provided. An attorney is available to answer any specific legal questions. Clients attend the Clinic one time for a 4-5 hour time period. Clients may return to LSEM for brief services such as notarizing, getting questions answered and to complete the form for the final Judgment of Divorce.
All of the Clinics for clients living in Genesee County are held at Legal Services of Eastern Michigan at 547 S. Saginaw St., Flint, Michigan. There are four different clinics. One clinic is for married people who have no children together. A second clinic is for married people who have children together and the third clinic is an evening clinic for married people who have children together but who work during daytime hours. A clinic is also available in Lapeer County on one afternoon each month.
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What will it cost to file for divorce? It usually costs between $100 and $130 to file for divorce. However if you are financially eligible for the LSEM Clinic, you can usually obtain a waiver of fees so that there is no cost to you. How long does it take to get divorced? In Michigan, a divorce in which there are no children involved can be final 60 days after it is filed. For divorces involving children, there is a six month waiting period before a divorce can be final. A divorce of either type may take longer if there are problems getting the other party served or if disagreements arise. If I can’t read or write well, can I have someone help me? You may have someone help you but LSEM will not provide someone to help you. You may bring one person of your choosing to the Clinic to help you fill out the papers and learn along with you how to handle the divorce.
If you believe you would be eligible for the Do-It-Yourself Divorce Clinic offered by Legal Services of Eastern Michigan, are willing to try to represent yourself in handling your own divorce, and want either more information or to sign up for the Clinic, call:
Legal Services of Eastern Michigan at: (810) 234-2621 or 1-800-339-9513 or write to: Legal Services of Eastern Michigan 436 S. Saginaw Street Flint, Michigan 48502
NEED OR WANT A DIVORCE BUT CAN’T AFFORD THE SERVICES
Legal Services of Eastern Michigan is a non-profit agency serving low income clients in Arenac, Bay, Clare, Genesee, Gladwin, Gratiot, Isabella, Lapeer, Midland, and Saginaw Counties.
OF AN ATTORNEY?
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