Business Court

Jurisdiction of and Assignment to the Livingston County Business Court

Cases eligible to be assigned to the business court are identified in MCL 600.8035. Generally, the matter must involve a business or commercial dispute with either an amount in controversy of $25,000 or more or in which equitable or declaratory relief is sought. Matters that do and do not qualify as business or commercial disputes are discussed in MCL 600.8031. Business court actions typically include actions between businesses or involve disputes regarding the internal operation of business entities. Certain matters are specifically excluded as business or commercial disputes. These are provided for by MCL 600.8031(3) and include employment actions and probate cases. All pleadings that involve a business or commercial dispute are required to contain a verification of the party on the first page of the pleading that the case meets statutory requirements to be assigned to the business court, in accordance with MCR 2.112(O)(1).

What to Expect in the Livingston County Business Court

The goal of the business court is to use court resources efficiently to provide timely, effective, and predictable resolution to business and commercial disputes. Litigants should expect collaborative litigation with tailored and adaptive schedules. Litigants should also expect strict adherence to court rules and scheduling orders. There are special requirements for practicing in the business court, including that parties discuss and interact with each other prior to hearings and filing motions, that contested motions be complete and well-plead according to the specialized standards. Proposed opinions resolving each motion filed in a business court case, including findings of fact and conclusions of law, should be submitted in Word format to judgehattymotions@livgov.com.