2026 state court fee data · Michigan

Civil Lawsuit in Michigan

Recorded at $150–$400 - the costliest civil filing we track in Michigan, and one of 10 states where we price this filing.

Filing steps ↓ About this data

Fee rank is not wait rank

Signature reading for Civil Lawsuit in Michigan: #1 on in-state fee rank among 12 Michigan filings. On this filing's state cohort, Michigan sits in the lower third of recorded max fees ($150–$400). The published step list sits near the 5-step median for this filing (5 steps). According to PlainCivil's compiled state court fee schedules, Civil Lawsuit in Michigan ranks #26 of 120 process-state filings by maximum filing fee (highest max fee = #1). Civil Lawsuit is largest of 2 at $400 among 12 civil filings in Michigan; that is not the longest wait: Divorce records 60 days on a $250 ceiling.

Civil Lawsuit figures for Michigan are compiled schedule reference, not legal advice - verify with the clerk where you intend to file.

In-state wait inventory

Waiting periods among Michigan civil filings

Exclusive split of all 12 tracked filings in Michigan - orthogonal to in-state fee placement below.

Compare a state record

Compare civil lawsuit with another state

Start with Michigan, then inspect another published court-schedule record without leaving this page.

Focus the comparison by published maximum fee

This only narrows the same court-schedule records; it does not estimate a total filing cost.

In-state placement

Where civil lawsuit sits among Michigan filings

Of the 12 civil filings we track in Michigan, civil lawsuit ranks 1 by recorded maximum fee: the costliest civil filing we track in Michigan.

Same-state corpus only, not a national ranking. How we place filings

0 of 10 states publishing a waiting-period field for this filing impose one; Michigan publishes a field and records none.

The Michigan row lists 5 procedural steps against a 5-step median for this filing: a reading of published detail, not difficulty.

Filing Fee Details

Circuit Court for most civil claims.

Michigan's low-band fee among states

Michigan sits in the lower third of this filing's state cohort at $150–$400 (rank #7 of 10 by max fee).

Source: state court filing-fee schedules (upper-bound fee per state). Verify current amounts with the relevant court. How we calculate this ranking →

Key Requirements

  • Complaint
  • Service
  • Discovery
  • Trial or settlement

Step-by-Step Process

  1. 1

    File Complaint

  2. 2

    Serve defendant

  3. 3

    Discovery

  4. 4

    Trial or settlement

  5. 5

    Judgment

Quick Reference

Fee stamp
STANDARD schedule band
Wait stamp
OPEN clock band
Filing Fee
$150–$400
Residency
File where cause of action occurred or where defendant resides
Waiting Period
None required
Typical Timeline
12-24 months

Official Resources

Michigan Court Website

Nearest fee-schedule peers in Michigan

Ordered by ABS(filing_fee_max) to this row's STANDARD stamp - not an A-Z process catalog.

Property Dispute
STANDARD
$150–$400
6-18 months
Probate
STANDARD
$150–$350
6-12 months
Court Mediation
STANDARD
$0–$300
1-2 sessions
Guardianship
STANDARD
$175–$300
2-4 months
Divorce
CLERK
$150–$250
No children: 60-day minimum. With children: 180-day minimum. Contested: 1-2 years.
Name Change
CLERK
$150–$200
1-2 months

Take this with you

What to do with civil lawsuit in Michigan's numbers, next.

Filing fees and requirements change; verify current figures with your local court before filing.

According to published Michigan court materials compiled in the PlainCivil state-process database. See our methodology for source categories and vintage. Schedule row for Civil Lawsuit in Michigan: max fee $150–$400, wait None, vintage 2026-09-01.