Ottawa County Courts

20th Circuit Court

The 20th Circuit Court trial division handles:

• Appeals from lower courts and administrative reviews of agency matters;
• Civil cases involving damage claims exceeding $25,000, claims for injunctions or other equitable relief, alternative dispute resolution, and reopened cases;
• Criminal cases, both capital and non-capital felony;
• Personal Protection (unless reassigned to the Family Division due to an existing domestic relations case between the same parties);
• Business Court cases involving business or commercial disputes.
• Recovery Court.

The 20th Circuit Court family division includes the Friend of the Court and the Juvenile Court. The family division handles:

• Divorce The termination of a marriage.
• Custody The determination of which parent shall be responsible for primary care.
• Parenting Time The determination of time spent with the noncustodial parent.
• Paternity The determination of legal fatherhood.
• Support The determination of the amount of money for care of a child or spouse.
• Adoption Legally taking parental responsibilities for a child.
• Personal Protection Orders (PPOs) Actions seeking protection from individuals for criminal stalking or domestic abuse.
• Name Changes Actions involving change of name.

Probate Court

The Probate Court handles the following:

• Estate Proceedings Administration of assets of a deceased or disappeared person by the courts.
• Guardianships The determination of who has the legal duty and power to care for a person under age 18 years or a person 18 years or older.
• Conservatorships The determination of who has the legal duty and power to manage and protect the estate of a person 18 years or older.
• Mental Health Proceedings Cases involving mental illness or developmental disabilities.

58th District Court

The 58th District Court handles a variety of cases, both criminal and non-criminal. Specific non-criminal matters include:

• Landlord Tenant Proceedings to recover possession of premises and/or obtain a money judgment.
• Small Claims Cases where the amount claimed does not exceed a specified amount.
• Claim and Delivery