Houghton County News

MiFile Coming to 97th District Court

The 97th District Courts of Houghton, Baraga, and Keweenaw Counties are pleased to announce that we will soon join the ranks of the more than 50 MiFILE courts in the state. MiFILE is an e-filing initiative sponsored by the Michigan Supreme Court and State Court Administrative Office (SCAO). The statewide e-filing system provides for the electronic submission and serving of documents in Michigan courts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week without requiring a trip to the courthouse.

Much work has gone into creating a statewide e-filing solution. Michigan Court Rules have been amended to support e-filing. Standards have been established to ensure that the experience for the filers and the courts are consistent and reliable. Continued enhancements of the system increase access to justice, allows flexibility for litigants and enables courts to become more efficient.

“I am very excited for the 97th District Courts of Houghton, Baraga, and Keweenaw Counties to become e-filing courts. All of the 97th District Court staff are working diligently to get these programs into place for this transition. E-filing will streamline the mechanics of litigation, and offer significant cost savings to attorneys, litigants, and courts. E-filing is also a green initiative, saving vast quantities of paper and reducing traveling time for filing, serving, and retrieving paperwork,” said Niki Jollimore, 97th District Court Administrator for Houghton, Baraga, and Keweenaw Counties.

The 97th District Court will be an official e-filing court in less than 90 business days. Once live, attorneys will be mandated to e-file as required by Michigan Court Rule 1.109(G)(3)(f). Self-represented litigants may e-file but are not required to do so. Filers can learn more about MiFILE on Michigan’s One Court of Justice website Filer Information page or by reading the MiFILE Quick Reference Guide. Video tutorials demonstrating the e-filing process are available on the MiFILE YouTube Channel.