General Civil

Definition

  • Cases involving lawsuits between 2 or more parties seeking disputes involving amounts of $25,000 or less.
  • You have the right to a jury trial, the right to be represented by an attorney, and the right to appeal beyond this court.
  • The Court will not appoint a court-appointed attorney for civil matters in District Court.
  • Corporations must be represented by an attorney.

Garnishments

  • If the Court decides in your favor, it does not automatically mean that the defendant will pay the judgment and costs. You may have to take additional legal steps (i.e. garnishment, execution) to obtain your money. The Court does not collect the money for you.

Self-help Resources

Michigan Legal Help can be found at https://michiganlegalhelp.org/

Forms for General Civil cases can be found at https://courts.michigan.gov/Administration/SCAO/Forms/Pages/Civil---General.aspx

General Civil Filing Fees

Fee TypeFee Amount
Up to $600.00$25.00
$600.01 to $1,750.00$45.00
$1,750.01 to $10,000.00$65.00
$10,000.01 to $25,000.00$150.00