Michigan
JURISDICTIONAL END OF MARRIAGE DATE: Date the Complaint for Divorce is filed. If there is no Complaint Date use current date.
STATE TYPE FOR PENSION EVALUATION: Michigan is an "equitable distribution" state. The court will divide the property of the parties as it deems equitable under the particular circumstances of the case. All of a party's property is subject to division if the court determines that the other party contributed to the acquisition, improvement, or accumulation of the property.
[Michigan Compiled Laws Annotated; Sections 552.19, 552.101, and 552.401 and Michigan Case Law].
MICH. COMP. LAWS ' 552.18
Rights or contingent rights in and to vested or unvested benefits or accumulated contributions as part of marital estate subject to award by court; amendment of court order to satisfy requirements of eligible domestic relations order.
Sec. 18. (1) Any rights in and to vested pension, annuity, or retirement benefits, or accumulated contributions in any pension, annuity, or retirement system, payable to or on behalf of a party on account of service credit accrued by the party during marriage shall be considered part of the marital estate subject to award by the court under this chapter.
(2) Any rights or contingent rights in and to unvested pension, annuity, or retirement benefits payable to or on behalf of a party on account of service credit accrued by the party during marriage may be considered part of the marital estate subject to award by the court under this chapter where just and equitable.
(3) Upon motion of a party or upon consent of the parties, an order of the court under this section entered before the effective date of the amendatory act that added this subsection shall be amended to satisfy the requirements of an eligible domestic relations order and to effectuate the intent of the parties or the ruling of the court. As used in this subsection, "eligible domestic relations order" means a domestic relations order that is an eligible domestic relations order under the eligible domestic relations order act.
MICH. COMP. LAWS ' 552.19
Restoration of real and personal estate to parties.
Sec. 19. Upon the annulment of a marriage, a divorce from the bonds of matrimony or a judgment of separate maintenance, the court may make a further judgment for restoring to either party the whole, or such parts as it shall deem just and reasonable, of the real and personal estate that shall have come to either party by reason of the marriage, or for awarding to either party the value thereof, to be paid by either party in money.
MICH. COMP. LAWS ' 552.20
Real and personal property or money in lieu thereof; delivery or payment to trustee; investment; application of income.
Sec. 20. Upon every divorce, and upon every divorce from bed and board for any cause, if any real and personal estate of either party, or money in lieu of the real or personal estate is awarded to either party as provided in section 19, the court, instead of ordering it to be delivered or paid to either party, may order it to be delivered or paid to a trustee or trustees, to be appointed by the court, upon trust to invest it, and to apply the income from it to the support and maintenance of either party, and of the children of the marriage, or any of them, in the manner as the court shall direct.
MICH. COMP. LAWS ' 552.22
Disclosure of property.
Sec. 22. Whenever the court shall think proper to award to either party any of the real and personal estate of either party, or any money in lieu thereof, such court may require either party to disclose on oath, what real and personal estate has come to either party by reason of the marriage, and how it has been disposed of, and what portion thereof still remains in the hands of either party.
MICH. COMP. LAWS ' 552.23
Judgment of divorce or separate maintenance; further award of real and personal estate; transmittal of payments to family independence agency; service fee; computation, payment, and disposition; failure or refusal to pay service fee; contempt; "state disbursement unit" or "SDU" defined.
Sec. 23. (1) Upon entry of a judgment of divorce or separate maintenance, if the estate and effects awarded to either party are insufficient for the suitable support and maintenance of either party and any children of the marriage as are committed to the care and custody of either party, the court may further award to either party the part of the real and personal estate of either party and spousal support out of the real and personal estate, to be paid to either party in gross or otherwise as the court considers just and reasonable, after considering the ability of either party to pay and the character and situation of the parties, and all the other circumstances of the case.
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MICH. COMP. LAWS ' 552.401
Property owned by spouse; award to party contributing to acquisition, improvement, or accumulation thereof; effect of decree.
Sec. 1. The circuit court of this state may include in any decree of divorce or of separate maintenance entered in the circuit court appropriate provisions awarding to a party all or a portion of the property, either real or personal, owned by his or her spouse, as appears to the court to be equitable under all the circumstances of the case, if it appears from the evidence in the case that the party contributed to the acquisition, improvement, or accumulation of the property. The decree, upon becoming final, shall have the same force and effect as a quitclaim deed of the real estate, if any, or a bill of sale of the personal property, if any, given by the party's spouse to the party.
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