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A case-type code is a set of two letters at the end of a court case number. Each code stands for a type of case. A case is started when a complaint or petition is filed in a Michigan court. The court clerk assigns a case number, and at the end of the case number is the case-type code.
If you are starting a new e-filed case as the plaintiff or petitioner, you will need to know the case-type code for your case. This is a list of the most common case-type codes. If you do not know which code to use, or if your case is not covered in the list below, ask the court clerk for help or read the list of approved Case Type Codes.
Family Law
Family law (or domestic relations) cases include divorce, custody, paternity, and child support. They are filed in the Family Division of Circuit Court.
DM: Divorce with Minor Children
DM is used in divorce, separate maintenance, or annulment cases that involve children under 18.
DO: Divorce without Minor Children
DO is used in divorce, separate maintenance, or annulment cases that do not involve minor children.
DC: Custody without Divorce
DC is used in custody and support cases that don’t involve divorce.
DP: Paternity
DP is used in paternity cases, including cases that also involve custody and support.
AY: Stepparent Adoptions
The AY code is used in a case for adoption by a stepparent.
DS: Other Support
DS is used in cases of any other support matters under the Michigan Family Support Act. They include support cases transferred to Michigan from other states after another state entered a judgment.
DZ: Other Domestic Relation Matters
DZ is used in a case for any other matter involving domestic relations. This includes cases not otherwise coded and post judgment matters from other states.
Miscellaneous Family
Some cases that are not related to divorce, custody, paternity, and child support are legally categorized included as family cases. This include cases are filed in the Family Division of Circuit Court.
EM: Emancipation of a Minor
EM is used in a case for the emancipation of a minor.
NC: Name Change
NC is used in a case for a legal name change.
Personal Protection
A personal protection case is filed to ask for a personal protection order. The order tells one person to stop threats or violence against another person. These cases are filed in Circuit Court.
PP: Personal Protection in Domestic Relationships
PP is used in a case for a personal protection order against someone with whom the petitioner has or used to have a domestic relationship. This means protection from someone the petitioner dated, lived with, has a child with, or married.
PH: Personal Protection Against Stalking
PH is used in a case for a personal protection order against someone with whom the petitioner did not have a domestic relationship. This means someone the petitioner has not dated, lived with, had a child with, or married. This kind of personal protection order can protect you from someone who has sexually assaulted you or attempted or threatened to sexually assault you.
PJ: Personal Protection Against Juveniles
PJ is used in a case for any personal protection order against someone who is less than 18 years old.
Housing
Housing cases include evictions and other disputes between landlords and tenants. They also include foreclosures, land contracts, and other disputes involving real estate. Some housing cases are filed in Circuit Court. Landlord-tenant and land contract cases are filed in District Court.
CH: Housing and Real Estate
CH is used in a case involving the purchase or foreclosure of housing and real estate. The code is not used for landlord-tenant or land contract cases.
LT: Landlord-Tenant Summary Proceedings
LT is used for landlord-tenant summary proceedings cases. This is an eviction case and may include claims for money damages.
SP: Land Contract Summary Proceedings
SP is used for a land contract summary proceedings case. It is similar to a landlord-tenant case, but a seller can evict a buyer after violating terms of a land contract rather than a lease.
Consumer
Consumer cases include contract cases, some general civil cases and small claims cases.
If the plaintiff is asking for more than $25,000, the case is filed in Circuit Court. A consumer case for $25,000 or less is filed in District Court. A case for $6,500 or less may be filed in the small claims division of the District Court
SC: Small Claims
SC is used for a case to recover money damages. The amount you can get in a small claims case is limited and can change each year. Go to the Small Claims resource page to learn more.
GC: General Civil Cases
GC is used for a civil case for money damages. The code is not used for small claims, landlord-tenant, or land contract cases.
CK: Contract Cases
CK is used for other contract and collection cases.
Probate
Cases to distribute a persons’ property after they die are filed in probate court. These can include cases where the person left a will, or cases where the person died without a will.
PE: Small Estates
PE is used for small estates. Some small estates do not need to be filed court, but for cases that do, the PE code is used. For a person who died in 2021, an estate is “small” if it is valued at $24,000 or less. This number may change from year to year.
DA: Supervised Administration of Decedent Estates
DA is used when a person dies leaving property, and the division of property is supervised by the probate judge. This means that the probate judge will place more limits on the power of the personal representative. Any interested person in an estate can ask that it be supervised.
DE: Unsupervised Administration of Decedent Estates
DE is used when a person dies with a larger estate (for someone who died in 2021, this means it was valued at more than $24,000).
Guardianship and Conservatorship
A judge may appoint a guardian or conservator for an adult who cannot make their own decisions. First, the judge must find that the person is a legally incapacitated individual (LII), or a person with developmental disability.
A judge may also appoint a guardian and conservator for a minor if child’s parents can’t or won’t make decisions for the child.
Guardians manage personal and physical well-being. Conservators manage financial affairs.
Petitions for a guardian or conservator are usually filed in Probate Court. In some places, these cases are filed in the Family Division of Circuit Court.
DD: Developmental Disability Guardianship
DD is used in a case to appoint a guardian for a person who is determined to be a person with a developmental disability. It can be for a minor or an adult.
GA: Adult Guardianship
GA is used in a case to appoint a guardian for an adult. The guardian manages the personal and physical well-being of the person in the guardianship.
GM: Minor Guardianship
GM is used in a case to appoint a guardian for a minor. The guardian manages the personal and physical well-being of the child.
LG: Limited Guardianship of Minor
LG is used in a case to appoint a limited guardian for a minor.
CA: Adult Conservatorship
CA is used in a case to appoint a conservator for an adult. The conservator manages the financial affairs of the person in the guardianship.
CY: Minor Conservatorship
CY is used in a case to appoint a conservator for a minor. The conservator manages the financial affairs of the child.
PO: Protective Order
PO is used in a case to enter an order that protects an individual. These protective orders are different from the orders listed above in the section “Personal Protection.” Protective Orders filed with this case-type code are to protect a minor, a person who is mentally ill, a person with a developmental disability, or a person who is legally incapacitated.