Track Down Free Macomb County Divorce Records Online

Search for free Macomb County divorce records online; looking up these documents can be quick and convenient when you know where to look. County and state government agencies serve as divorce record custodians.

A divorce in Michigan starts with a complaint filed in a county circuit court, essentially stating that the marriage cannot be preserved. After hearing evidence on both sides, the circuit court may enter a judgment dissolving the marriage.

This resource provides clear instructions on how to find divorce records in Macomb County, Michigan.

How To Access Macomb County Divorce Records Online at No Cost

Divorces are public court proceedings heard in Michigan circuit courts. The 16th Judicial Circuit Court has jurisdiction over divorce cases in Macomb County.¹ Information from these divorce cases can be found for free using the 16th Judicial Circuit Court case search.²

This search tool is name-based, where users must input both a first and last name for the search to generate results. Results are limited to 500 per search, so they should be narrowed at the outset by including the divorce filing date range or date of birth of one of the parties.

To further narrow the results and exclusively search divorce cases, select ‘DO-Divorce, No Children’ or ‘DM-Divorce, Minor Children’ under the ‘Case Type’ section. The initial results will show researchers a table of all persons of the same name that have had a divorce proceeding in Macomb County.

By clicking on a case number, users will be able to view the docket information, including the dates of filings and hearings, the parties to the divorce, and the disposition. This information may also be printed by clicking on the printer icon in the upper right-hand corner.

The Macomb County Circuit Court also allows anyone to order a divorce judgement online.³ Requesters must know the case number or they will be charged a $2 fee. The case search detailed above is a great way to learn a case number.

Researchers should also include the approximate date of the divorce and the full names of both parties to the divorce. The plaintiff is the person who initiated the divorce and the defendant is the other spouse. Ensure that ‘Divorce Judgement’ is selected under the ‘Type of Document Requested’ section.

There are fees associated with copying divorce judgements. A regular copy is $2 per page, and certified and authenticated copies are $10 plus $2 per page. These public divorce records can be received by email, mail, fax, or picked up in person at the Macomb County Clerk’s Office.⁴

Interested parties may also complete a Macomb County Circuit Court Documents Order Form and fax, email, or mail it to the clerk’s office.⁵ This form should be filled out in the same manner as the online described above.

Macomb County Clerk’s Office
40 N. Main St.
Mount Clemens, Michigan 48043

Fax: 586.469.5365
Email: [email protected]

The Macomb County Clerk’s Office is open to the public from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday – Friday. For more information, contact the office at 586.469.5351.

Basic information from a divorce proceeding in Macomb County can also be viewed online for free through the Michigan Case Search.⁶

By typing ‘Macomb’ in the search bar, interested parties can select one of the circuit courts located in the county. This database allows members of the public to review domestic case information, including divorces. If a researcher does not know the case number, they may type in at least the last name of an individual to look up the divorce case.

If you search by name, cases that include the name of the person you put in the search bar will be generated. It will show the case ID number, the case title, filing date, case status, court name, party type, and year of birth. By clicking on the case ID, additional information about the case will be revealed.

Under the ‘Events’ section, researchers will be able to see the type of hearing that took place and the document filings the case had. This will be where the divorce information will be located.

Retrieve Macomb County Divorce or Dissolution Records via Cities

The county-level search and request process described in the section above allows for the broadest results. The county circuit courts in Michigan have jurisdiction over the cities located in the counties.

Cities in Macomb County do not allow for the search and request of divorce records independent from the county. Interested parties seeking to obtain divorce records must go through the Macomb County Circuit Court or order from the State of Michigan Vital Records Department.⁷

Learn how to order records from the Michigan Vital Records Department below.

How To View Divorce Records Throughout Michigan via the State Vital Records Department

There are instances where individuals may realize that a divorce occurred elsewhere in the state, and the county records custodian can not assist. In these instances, a broader state vital records office can help.

The State of Michigan Vital Records Department will help interested persons obtain divorce records when a search with a county circuit court clerk is unsuccessful. This office maintains divorce records from 1897 to the present. Divorce records may be ordered by mail, online, over the phone, in person, or by using a drop box.

Order by mail: Interested parties must complete an Application for a Michigan Divorce Record.⁸ Fees must be made payable to the State of Michigan by check or money order and included in the submission. Materials can be mailed standard or expedited.

Standard: Michigan Vital Records Requests
P.O. Box 30721
Lansing, Michigan 48909

Expedited: Michigan Vital Records RUSH
P.O. Box 30721
Lansing, Michigan 48909

Order in person: requesters must schedule an appointment.⁹ Appointments are limited to 10:00 am to 2:00 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Order by drop box: interested persons must complete the Application for a Michigan Divorce Record, attach payment, and drop off in a sealed envelope at:

Michigan Vital Records
South Grand Avenue
Lansing, Michigan 48933

There is no guarantee that the Michigan Vital Records Office will be able to locate divorce records. Interested parties should know as much information about the divorce and include it in the request so the office can find the records.

The fees for ordering in the above methods are $42 for the first year searched and $12 for additional years searched. Expedited processing is $25.

Order online: Michigan divorce records can be ordered online through the third-party platform VitalChek.¹⁰

Order by phone: Michigan divorce records can be ordered through VitalChek by calling 866.443.9897.

The Library of Michigan maintains a divorce index from 1897 to 1969.¹¹ Contact the Library of Michigan for more information.¹²

Library of Michigan
702 West Kalamazoo Street
Lansing, Michigan 48915

Phone: 517.335.1477

Are Divorce Records in Macomb County Michigan Publicly Accessible?

When someone is served with divorce paper, the court process begins. These divorce proceedings in Michigan are public, so information concerning the divorce is also public. Divorce case information is available to anybody who uses the methods described in the sections above. This is for both certified and non-certified copies.

Moreover, under the Michigan inspection of vital records law, information contained in vital records may be disclosed.¹³ Additionally, the Michigan Vital Records Office explains on its request form that divorce records are not restricted documents.

The Michigan Vital Records Office also explains that certified copies of divorce records over 100 years old are not restricted.¹⁴

Divorce decrees or judgments may be ordered at the county level, while divorce certificates may be ordered by the state. These are distinguished from divorce papers which usually refer to initial divorce filings.

There are also third-party providers endorsed by the state, or otherwise, that can assist those who are searching for archived records which the county or state government may not have. However, neither a state agency nor third-party will be able to help you find common law divorce records because they do not exist.

Look up Macomb County divorce records online today; find out how to obtain them by following the details in this article.