Third Judicial Circuit Court of Michigan Filing Rules

The judgment checklist calls for the legal description to be included when applicable.

The parties may use another ADR process only with court approval obtained by filing a stipulated order.

An ADR referral order must provide for selection of the provider, timing, and payment, and may require attendance.

Counsel for the Plaintiff must file the Joint Plan.

A stipulated order dismissing a party must be signed by all counsel of record.

All communications must include the case number and hearing date in the subject line.

Beginning January 2, 2026, attorneys and their staff must call the Court, rather than email, about adjournments or case status.

Parties must email the Court to request a briefing scheduling order for summary disposition motions.

Ex parte communications with the Court are inappropriate and will not be considered.

Court operating hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays except holidays, and staff may not be available during lunch from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.

The Mediation Tribunal Association must file a new fee-collection complaint at least once each year.

Joint Final Pre-Trial Orders are due 32 days before trial.

Response briefs to motions in limine are due one week before the pre-trial.

The Joint Case Management Plan must be e-filed at least one week before the Case Management Conference.

Summary dispositions must be filed within 18 months of the complaint; a motion for leave is required for late filings made after December 1, 2022.

The parties may extend discovery beyond the cutoff by written stipulation only if the extension does not affect the specified motion, settlement, pretrial, or trial dates.

An adjournment of case evaluation requires a motion.

An adjournment of case evaluation must be requested by motion, rather than stipulation.

A motion is required to adjourn Case Evaluation.

The moving party must contact the judicial attorney to request a new summary disposition hearing date.

THIS IS AN ELECTRONIC COURTROOM. Judge's Copies of all Motions, Responses, Pre-Trial Order, etc. should be emailed to JudgeMACox-Court@3rdcc.org pursuant to the protocol below. Include date of hearing and case number in the subject line of all communications. WE WILL NOT ACCEPT PHYSICAL COPIES.

Email copies of motions, responses, pre-trial orders, and similar documents to the Court; do not mail hard copies of motions.

The court issues a scheduling order after receiving the judge’s hard copy and the e-praecipe.

Do not mail hard copies to the courtroom.

The movant must deliver one time-stamped courtesy copy of the motion to the Court by mail or hand delivery.

Orders must not be submitted on letterhead or they will be rejected.

Written discovery must be served in PDF and Word or native format.

The parties should use joint exhibits when possible to avoid duplicate exhibits.

Motions must use separately numbered paragraphs, each limited as far as practicable to a single assertion.

Exhibits must be tabbed for court acceptance.

The parties must exchange witness lists at least 60 days before discovery closes.

Pro se parties without an email address in the MiFile system must be served by mail to their last known address no less than 10 days prior to hearing, and a Proof of Service should be e-filed indicating the date and place of service no less than 7 days.

The ADR Clerk must promptly send the affected counsel or self-represented party a fee-demand letter by first-class mail or email.

The Court will serve the Status Conference Scheduling Order electronically on counsel, and Plaintiff’s counsel must ensure service on the Defendant.

Responses, including briefs, and replies must be filed and served in accordance with MCR 2.116(G)(1)(a).

An e-praecipe is required for a motion to be added to the docket.

The moving party must e-file the summary disposition motion before obtaining a hearing date.

Submit the praecipe through the Court’s website after the filing is entered.

Motions must be filed electronically.

The stipulated order required for an adjournment must be submitted by email.

The emailed summary disposition Judge Copy must be properly highlighted and must not exceed 20 pages, including exhibits.

Attorneys must obtain Court approval before filing a motion and brief or a response and brief that exceeds 20 pages.

Exhibits attached to a motion Judge's Copy may not exceed 20 pages in total.

Attorneys need Court approval to file a motion and brief or response and brief exceeding 20 pages; reply briefs are limited to 5 pages.

For summary-disposition motion papers, attorneys need Court approval to file a motion and brief or response and brief over 20 pages, and reply briefs are limited to five pages.

In general, the Court requires that all RESPONSES be due 2 weeks prior to the MSD hearing and all REPLIES be due 1 week prior to the MSD hearing.

The Court expects attorneys to work cooperatively to resolve discovery disputes without a court hearing.

Motions scheduled for 8:30 a.m. are decided on the pleadings unless the Judge orders oral argument, in which case the parties receive an order setting the hearing.

Before filing a motion under the cited discovery rules, the movant must confer or attempt to confer in good faith with the party responsible for disclosure.

For discovery disputes, parties should try to stipulate to an order; otherwise, file the motion, obtain a Discovery Master recommendation, and then schedule a hearing with the courtroom clerk and file a praecipe and notice of hearing.

Before disclosing confidential materials to the specified former employees, experts, or consultants, counsel must provide the order for review and obtain an executed confidentiality agreement; current employees must be advised of the order but need not sign the agreement.

The mediator may charge reasonable compensation based on experience and usual rates for a mediation of up to two hours, and each party is responsible for a pro-rata share unless otherwise provided.

The appropriate fee must be paid when filing subsequent motions.

The parties are responsible for late fees if a case-evaluation adjournment request is not made at least 14 days before the scheduled evaluation.

Before a pro hac vice hearing, the court must receive State Bar verification that all fees have been paid and all requirements satisfied.

A Track II-to-III adjournment motion cannot be combined with any other motion.

Motions, responses, replies, their briefs, and all exhibits must be submitted together as one document.

Alternate service and second-summons requests require separate orders and filings.

Do not file a proposed order as a separate filing contemporaneously with a motion; it may instead be attached as a proposed exhibit.

The motion, supporting materials, and proposed order must be submitted together as a single document rather than as connected filings.