Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Michigan

civil law suit in district court

I have filed a suit (on my own)in district court (in excess of $10,000) of Michigan and the defendant filed a response on her own. Neither of us will be represented by counsel in court. The court notifed us with less than 30 days, before the trial date. Do I have to submit to the defendant my evidence & witness list, before the court date. I know this is norm (discovery)w/ attorney's, but would it be in this instance. Or can I submit this info. to the court before trial and it will suffice?

Thank-you very much


Asked on 6/08/06, 8:09 pm

2 Answers from Attorneys
Rochelle Guznack Law Offices of Rochelle E. Guznack, PLLC

Re: civil law suit in district court

Usually there is a pretrial conference before trial at which time the court gives the parties a scheduling order with dates to complete certain things such as witness and exhibit lists and may or may not allow the parties to conduct discovery. Discovery is not automatic in district court, but may be granted if the parties request it. If you need more time to prepare your case before trial, you can either file a motion asking the court for an adjournment or ask the other party to stipulate to an adjournment.

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Answered on 6/09/06, 7:02 am
Charles Lawler Clark Hill PLC

Re: civil law suit in district court

Has there been a scheduling conference? You should have a scheduling order. If not, call the court and ask the clerk what procedure they would like you to follow. In district court, many times the rules are not as strict as in the rest of the Michigan courts.

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Answered on 6/09/06, 10:08 am


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