The bill amends several sections of the 1846 RS 84 law regarding divorce in Michigan. Key changes include the stipulation that a court shall not take proofs or testimony in a divorce action until two days after the complaint is filed, with exceptions for cases of desertion or if testimony is needed to perpetuate evidence. Additionally, in cases involving dependent minor children, testimony cannot be taken until six months after the complaint is filed. The bill also clarifies that if the defendant is not domiciled in Michigan at the time of the divorce action, the plaintiff must prove that the parties lived together in the state or that the plaintiff resided in Michigan for at least one year prior to filing.

Further amendments include changes to the language surrounding spousal support and property division, specifying that alimony constitutes a lien on the adverse party's estate. The bill also updates terminology, replacing "husband and wife" with "spouses" throughout the text. It establishes that a marriage cannot be annulled on the grounds of force or fraud if the parties have voluntarily cohabited after the alleged coercion. The enactment of this bill is contingent upon the approval of a related Senate or House Joint Resolution.

Statutes affected:
House Introduced Bill: 552.9