What do I need to do to divorce my wife who lives in another state?

You should be able to file for divorce in the state where you live. If you choose to do this yourself, it will be up to you to prepare and file the complaint, serve her and get the case moving forward. If you hire an attorney it is the attorney's job to do those things for you. The filing fee in Michigan is $150.00 for divorces without children and $230.0 for divorces with children. A process server typically runs around $40.00; sometimes more. Attorney fees depend on the attorney.

Simplest is to talk to local attorney.

You can proceed with a dissolution so long as you know where she is living and can have her served. If you know that then you could file on your own. If service will be an issue, then you should consult a family law attorney for assistance with service alternatives.

If your spouse will agree, you can Mediate the divorce and the mediator will guide your through all necessary documentation. If she does not agree, you can retain an attorney to proceed or you can handle it yourself if you feel you work through the process without legal guidance. Good luck.

I would recommend that you would hire an attorney in order to at least counsel you regarding the filing and procedures. Without much additional information, it is impossible to predict. The fact that your wife is currently in another state is not much of an issue, unless she files for divorce against you there. As the cost, that is going be determined by the amount of time spent, which is in turn determined by the issues and attitudes of the parties. While it is possible to prosecute and gain a divorce without an attorney, it is extremely unwise given the fact that there are any number of things which a person representing themselves will tend to miss and which will cause significant later problems. It is always cheaper to do it right the first time.

You can file for dissolution in the state you live in if you have been a resident for six months. Check with the clerk of the court for a packet for self filing.

You need to file what is called a Complaint for Dissolution and file it with the Court in the state and county where you reside. Your wife needs to be served the papers or she needs to file a Voluntary Appearance. Can you do it yourself? Yes. Should you do it yourself? No.