Programs courts order by name · SMILE
SMILE Program (Michigan): What the Divorce Class Requires
Start Making It Livable for Everyone — the parent-education program Michigan county Friend of the Court offices require in divorce cases with minor children.
Quick answer: what is SMILE?
SMILE stands for Start Making It Livable for Everyone. It is a parent-education program that Michigan county Friend of the Court offices require of separating and divorcing parents with minor children, usually by court order. Many counties now deliver it as a roughly 40-minute online video (St. Joseph and Manistee counties say 40 minutes), and you send proof of completion to your county’s Friend of the Court. Details — format, deadline and how to submit proof — are set county by county.
At a glance
| Who runs or publishes it | Each Michigan county’s Friend of the Court office, part of the circuit court, runs its own SMILE program. Several counties point parents to a video on the state’s MiChildSupport website. |
|---|---|
| Format | Varies by county. St. Joseph and Saginaw counties use an online video on MiChildSupport; Manistee uses a video followed by a questionnaire; Grand Traverse uses a video, a PowerPoint and a questionnaire; Macomb holds monthly in-person presentations at Macomb Community College, with videos as a remote alternative. |
| Length | The online video is 40 minutes, according to St. Joseph and Manistee counties. In-person presentations (such as Macomb County’s) run as scheduled evening sessions. |
| Cost | None of the county pages we reviewed list a fee for SMILE. Ask your county’s Friend of the Court if you are unsure. |
| Online? | Usually — varies by county |
| Where courts document it | Michigan counties (Friend of the Court) |
Which courts order or accept SMILE
Here is where we found SMILE named in an official court or state source, and what that source says. A court that lists a program satisfies its own requirement with it — that does not make it valid for every court.
Saginaw County, Michigan
Saginaw County Friend of the Court
Saginaw County says SMILE is required in all new divorce cases, must be completed before finalizing your divorce, and that failure to complete it will delay your divorce and may bring court fines according to your order. Proof is emailed to the Friend of the Court.
St. Joseph County, Michigan
St. Joseph County Friend of the Court
St. Joseph County describes SMILE as a 40-minute online video required for parents with a pending divorce case with minor children, who receive a letter signed by their judge with viewing instructions.
Source: St. Joseph County Friend of the Court — SMILE Program
Macomb County, Michigan
Macomb County Friend of the Court
Macomb County holds SMILE presentations once a month at Macomb Community College, usually on the first Tuesday evening, with videos as a remote alternative; afterward, parents email a certificate of participation to the Friend of the Court.
Manistee and Grand Traverse Counties, Michigan
County Friend of the Court offices
Manistee County says participation is required by court order and uses a 40-minute video plus a questionnaire you send or bring to the Friend of the Court with your name and case number. Grand Traverse County uses a video, PowerPoint and a questionnaire submitted once by email or mail.
Source: Manistee County — SMILE Online; Grand Traverse County — SMILE Online
The certificate and how to file it
Proof goes to your county’s Friend of the Court, not to a private company. Depending on the county, that means emailing a certificate of completion (Saginaw), emailing a certificate of participation (Macomb), or sending a completed questionnaire with your name and case number (Manistee, Grand Traverse).
Confirm your court accepts SMILE
- Use your own county’s SMILE instructions. Each Friend of the Court office sets its own format and proof process — follow the letter or order you received.
- SMILE is a Friend of the Court program. A different online parenting class sold by a private company is not SMILE, even if it covers similar topics.
- If you do not have internet access, contact your Friend of the Court; counties describe alternatives, such as Macomb’s in-person sessions.
Before you enroll or pay: the court handling your case decides which program counts. Match the exact program name, version and format on your order, and if anything is unclear, ask the clerk, your attorney, or the court office named in your order. A completed class the court does not accept does not satisfy the order. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Sources
- Saginaw County Friend of the Court — SMILE Program
- St. Joseph County Friend of the Court — SMILE Program
- Macomb County Friend of the Court — SMILE program
- Manistee County — SMILE Online
- Grand Traverse County — SMILE Online
Source & accuracy: every fact on this page comes from the official court or state sources above, or — where labeled — from the program publisher’s own website. Last reviewed 2026-09-22. Requirements, provider lists and fees change, so confirm with your court before you enroll or pay. We are an independent directory: we do not run this program, we are not affiliated with or endorsed by its publisher or any court, and none of these links are affiliate links. Program names are used only to identify the programs and belong to their respective owners.