In many states there is a waiting period for finalizing a divorce following the filing of the lawsuit for divorce. This waiting period is intended to allow the spouses to “cool-off” and reconcile if possible. And some states require the spouses to have separated and lived apart for some period of time before proceeding with the divorce. In some states that require such a separation period, if the spouses reconcile and begin living together again (cohabitating) after separating, the separation period must be restarted before the divorce process can proceed.

The waiting period or separation period is often 30-90 days but may be as long as 5-18 months in states such as Arkansas, California, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Vermont. These waiting periods are generally in addition to any minimum time period a spouse must have resided in the county in which the divorce is filed before filing for divorce—known as the residency requirement.

In Michigan, there is a statutory waiting period for finalizing a divorce, which serves as a 'cooling-off' period to give couples a chance to reconcile. For couples without children, the waiting period is a minimum of 60 days from the date the divorce complaint is filed. However, for couples with children, the waiting period is extended to a minimum of 180 days (approximately 6 months). Michigan does not have a statutory requirement for spouses to live apart for a certain period before filing for divorce. The state does have a residency requirement, which mandates that at least one spouse must have lived in Michigan for at least 180 days (6 months) before filing, and in the county where the divorce is filed for at least 10 days, with some exceptions for emergency situations.