Honorable Matthew J. McGivney
Chief Judge Pro Tempore of the 44th Circuit Court & 53rd District Court
| Trial / Evidentiary Hearings: | Mondays / Tuesdays / Wednesdays |
| Motion Day: | Thursdays |
| Final Pretrial Day: | Fridays |
| Motion Practice: | All motions must be filed with the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, located at 204 S. Highlander Way, Howell, Michigan 48843. All Judge’s Copies must be delivered to the Brighton Courthouse, located at 224 N. First St., Brighton, Michigan. Courtesy copies shall be emailed to brightoncourtmotions@livgov.com. All motion hearings will be conducted via Zoom, unless otherwise designated by Court. Zoom instructions shall be provided to the parties in advance of the hearing. All evidentiary hearings and trials will be conducted in person at the Brighton Courthouse, unless otherwise designated by the Court. All adjournments and/or dismissals of motions must be made by the moving party. Any other adjournment of motion must come through a motion or stipulation and order, and must be approved by the Judge. |
Judge McGivney's Forms
About Judge McGivney
Judge McGivney serves as the Presiding Judge of the Family Division of the Circuit Court, as well as the Chief Judge Pro Tempore of the 44th Circuit and 53rd District Courts. Judge McGivney handles the following portions of the Livingston County Circuit Court docket: 100% of the juvenile delinquency cases; 55% of domestic relations cases involving children; 100% of personal protection matters related to the assigned domestic relations cases; 34% of civil cases; 34% of name changes; and 33% of criminal and civil appeals from lower tribunals. Judge McGivney also presides over the Juvenile Drug Treatment Court – a specialty problem-solving court focusing on treatment and rehabilitation of non-violent juvenile offenders.
He was appointed to the bench by the Governor in 2019, elected in 2020 to complete the partial term of his predecessor, and re-elected in 2022 to a full six year term. Prior to taking the bench in 2019, Judge McGivney worked as a litigator and as a transactional attorney in private practice for seventeen years. As an equity partner at his law firm, he represented clients in a wide variety of matters, ranging from domestic relations, probate and estate planning, to criminal defense, personal injury, and real estate matters. Judge McGivney earned a B.A., Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Science – Law and Society from Michigan State University (1998) and holds a J.D. from Michigan State University College of Law (2001).
Judge McGivney is a member of the following: State Bar of Michigan, Michigan Judges Association; Livingston County Bar Association, Detroit Catholic Central Shamrock Bar Association. He is admitted to practice law in all Michigan State Courts, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, and U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan.