CIVIL DIVISION
(734) 258-3068
Ext. 3632 & 3668
What is a civil case?
Generally, a civil case is filed because of a disagreement between two people, businesses or organizations. The disagreement usually involves one person believing that he or she has been hurt, had their rights violated or property damaged by another person. A civil case is not a criminal case.
If you are the one starting the case, you are called the plaintiff, and the person or business you are suing is called the defendant. In most civil cases, the plaintiff is asking for a specific amount of money to be paid by the defendant. However, in some civil cases, the plaintiff may be asking the court to tell the defendant to stop some behavior or to do a specific thing. The plaintiff is responsible for paying the filing fees, and most other required fees such as service fees.
The district court will handle the case if the claim is for $25,000 or less. The case can be filed in the district court where the incident occurred, or in the district court where the defendant lives. The filing fee varies with the amount of the claim.
If the amount of the claim is more than $25,000, the circuit court will handle the case. The case can be filed in the circuit court where the incident occurred, or in the circuit court in the county where the defendant lives.
For disputes involving amounts of $3,000 or less, the plaintiff can elect to file the case with the small claims division of the district court. The defendant can agree to have the case remain in small claims or can request the case be removed to the regular civil division.
In civil cases, both the plaintiff and the defendant may be represented by an attorney, unless the case is filed as a small claims case.
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