20th Judicial Circuit Court of Michigan, Ottawa County
Court-Level Rules, Filing Procedures & Policies
- Rules last changed:
Document Format Requirements3 rules
Specific issues regarding e-Filing access must be submitted to the court administrator by completing form MC 98.
No attachment to a filed pleading shall be simultaneously admissible as an exhibit at any subsequent hearing or trial (i.e., no attachment to a pleading may be removed from a court file to be used as an exhibit). A separate copy must be provided and marked as an exhibit at such hearing or trial.
Before a hearing or trial, a party intending to present electronic evidence must confirm its compatibility, viewability or audibility, preservability in the court record, and ability to present it using available technology.
Court's wording
Any party intending to present electronic evidence at any trial or hearing is responsible for confirming, before said trial or hearing, that: - (a) said electronic evidence is compatible with the court's technology; - (b) it can be seen, heard, or read during the trial or hearing; - (c) if admitted into evidence, it can be preserved as part of the court record; and - (d) said party will be capable of presenting said electronic evidence using available technology.
Document Filing Requirements6 rules
The court will respond in writing to your grievance using form MC 98 within five business days.
* Executed Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) must be attached to the court's e-Filing Access Plan.
Any letter of concurrence or disagreement with the Plan authored by the County Clerk regarding management of court records shall be submitted to the SCAO with the submission of the Family Court Plan for approval.
Please complete this calculator once for each circuit, district, or probate court.
Unified trial courts, courts with concurrent jurisdiction, and district-probate courts may combine the estimated self-represented litigants identified in the hyperlinked document below and complete the calculator only once.
Please enter the estimated number of self-represented litigants filing in your court per day in the green box below.
Filing & Service rules
Electronic Filing Rules
Most family division cases and documents must be e-filed through MiFile; paper filing is permitted only when MiFile does not allow filing for that case type or an e-filing exception is granted.
- 3. Filing. All new cases and documents shall be filed with the Circuit Court Clerk's Office with the proper filing fees through the MiFile e-filing platform for most family division case types. Filing in paper format is only permitted if filing for a particular case type is not permitted in MiFile or if an e-filing exception has been granted.
Page 6 | DI. RECORDS MANAGEMENT
The court will provide self-represented litigants access to e-filing workstations for filing court documents electronically.
The court will provide self-represented litigants service and access to e-Filing computer workstations to electronically file documents in the court.
Page 3 | Section I. Needs Assessment
Filing Timing and Cure Windows
The court must respond to a grievance within five business days.
The court will respond in writing to your grievance using form MC 98 within five business days.
Page 5 | C. Grievance Process
Service and Proof of Service Rules
Parties must disclose and exchange documents, photographs, and other physical evidence in accordance with any entered pretrial or scheduling order and discovery requests under the Michigan Court Rules.
Documents, photographs, and other physical evidence shall be disclosed and exchanged between the parties in accordance with any pretrial or scheduling order entered in the case, and in accord with discovery requests pursuant to the Michigan Court Rules.
Page 2 | (C) Prehearing and Pretrial Submission of Exhibits
When there is no specific pretrial or scheduling order, parties must exchange proposed exhibits at least 24 hours before a referee hearing or motion hearing, unless the court permits otherwise for good cause; the requirement does not apply to rebuttal evidence.
parties shall exchange proposed exhibits at least 24 hours before any referee hearing or motion hearing, unless the court permits otherwise for good cause.
Page 2 | (C) Prehearing and Pretrial Submission of Exhibits
When there is no specific pretrial or scheduling order, parties must exchange proposed exhibits at least seven days before an evidentiary hearing or trial before the judge, except for evidence submitted for rebuttal purposes.
In the absence of a specific pretrial or scheduling order, parties shall exchange proposed exhibits at least seven days before any evidentiary hearing or trial before the judge
Page 2 | (C) Prehearing and Pretrial Submission of Exhibits
The court administrator must forward copies of the grievance and response to the submitter, chief judge, and appropriate regional administrator.
The court administrator will forward copies of the grievance and response to the person who submitted the grievance, the chief judge, and the appropriate regional administrator of the State Court Administrative Office.
Page 5 | C. Grievance Process
Filing Fees and Waivers
All new cases and documents shall be filed with the Circuit Court Clerk's Office with the proper filing fees through the MiFile e-filing platform for most family division case types.
All new cases and documents shall be filed with the Circuit Court Clerk's Office with the proper filing fees through the MiFile e-filing platform for most family division case types.
Page 6 | DI. RECORDS MANAGEMENT
Sealing & Redaction Procedures
Attachments referenced in motions and pleadings must not contain unredacted personal identifying information unless submitted in the form and manner established by the State Court Administrative Office.
Motions and pleadings may reference attachments, except that such attachments shall not include unredacted personal identifying information, unless submitted in the form and manner established by the State Court Administrative Office.
Page 1 | (B) Submission of Exhibits in General
Motions and pleadings must not attach documents described in MCR 3.229, covered by a protective order, or subject to an order or pending motion to seal unless identified as nonpublic, confidential, or sealed under the applicable court rule.
No motion or pleading shall attach any document that is: - (a) described in MCR 3.229, - (b) within the scope of a protective order filed or requested in the action, or - (c) the subject of an entered order or pending motion to seal the document under MCR 8.119(I), unless such document is identified as nonpublic, confidential, or sealed, pursuant to applicable court rule.
Page 1 | (B) Submission of Exhibits in General
Adjournment & Extension Requirements
Failure to confirm electronic evidence compatibility and presentation capacity before a hearing or trial is not grounds for adjournment unless the court determines otherwise for good cause.
Failure to confirm such compatibility and capacity prior to the hearing or trial is not grounds for adjournment unless the court determines otherwise for good cause.
Page 3 | (C) Prehearing and Pretrial Submission of Exhibits
Chambers Communication Rules
Judges and referees will not search for proposed evidence, and parties must not email proposed exhibits directly to a judge or referee.
Judges and referees are not expected to search for proposed physical or electronic evidence prior to or during any hearing or trial, and submission of proposed exhibits directly to a judge or referee via email is prohibited as an ex parte communication.
Page 3 | (C) Prehearing and Pretrial Submission of Exhibits
If printing or physically submitting proposed evidence is difficult or burdensome, the proposing party must promptly advise the court so the parties and court can determine whether it can be exchanged and presented electronically in a compatible, preservable format.
difficult, or burdensome to print or submit in physical form, the proposing party shall promptly advise the court so as to determine whether electronic evidence can be exchanged between parties and presented to the court in a mutually-compatible electronic format, capable of being presented in court and preserved as part of the electronic record.
Page 3 | (C) Prehearing and Pretrial Submission of Exhibits