REVISED JUDICATURE ACT OF 1961
Act 236 of 1961
600.8035 Business court; jurisdiction; venue; assignment.
Sec. 8035.
(1) A business court has jurisdiction over business and commercial disputes in which equitable or declaratory relief is sought or in which the matter otherwise meets circuit court jurisdictional requirements.
(2) Venue of a suit in the business court is as provided in chapter 16.
(3) An action must be assigned to a business court if all or part of the action includes a business or commercial dispute. An action that involves a business or commercial dispute that is filed in a court with a business docket must be maintained in a business court although it also involves claims that are not business or commercial disputes, including excluded claims under section 8031(3).
(4) An action must be assigned to a business court judge by blind draw, unless the jurisdiction and venue of the case lies in a county described in section 8033(2).
(5) An action assigned to a business court judge may be reassigned by blind draw to another judge as prescribed by the plan submitted under section 8033(1) or (2), as applicable, if the action ceases to include a business or commercial dispute.
(6) An action that does not initially include a business or commercial dispute but that subsequently includes a business or commercial dispute as a result of a cross-claim, counterclaim, third-party complaint, amendment, or any other modification of the action must be reassigned by blind draw to a business court after the action is modified to include a business or commercial dispute as prescribed by the plan submitted under section 8033(1) or (2), as applicable.
(7) Upon motion of a party, the chief judge of the judicial circuit may review assignments under subsections (3), (5), and (6). The ruling of the chief judge under this subsection is not an order that may be appealed under section 308.
History: Add. 2012, Act 333, Eff. Jan. 1, 2013 ;-- Am. 2017, Act 101, Eff. Oct. 11, 2017
Compiler's Notes:
Compiler's note: Enacting section 2 of Act 101 of 2017 provides:
"Enacting section 2. This amendatory act applies to actions commenced on or after the effective date of this amendatory act."
Notes of Decisions
in Re Rhea Brody Living Trust (Mich. Ct. App. 2019).
· cites it 9× “6 We have quoted from the current version of MCL 600.8035. The statute was amended effective on October 11, 2017, and the amendments apply to actions commenced on or after the effective date of the amendments.”
in the Matter of Rhea Brody Living Trust (Mich. Ct. App. 2017).
· cites it 8× “PROBATE COURT JURISDICTION On appeal, Robert and Jay ask this Court to vacate the probate court’s orders for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. According to Robert and Jay, the trust action included a “business or commercial dispute” as defined in MCL 600.”
John Mighion LLC v. Mht Fam. Props. I LLC (Mich. Ct. App. 2025).
· cites it 7× “” Directly below the title the complaint states, “This is a business case in which all or part of action [sic] includes a business or commercial dispute under MCL 600.8035.” The first paragraph of the “Introduction and Parties” section states, “This case is brought under MCR 2.”
Hassan Fayad v. Nicole Michelle Weick (Mich. Ct. App. 2023).
· cites it 3× “” MCL 600.8035(1). The types of actions that can qualify as a “business or commercial dispute” are addressed in MCL 600.”
in Re Lewerenz Est. (Mich. Ct. App. 2021).
· cites it 2× “8031(1)(c)(ii) to include: An action in which 1 or more of the parties is a business enterprise and the other parties are its or their present or former owners, managers, shareholders, members of a limited liability company [(an LLC)] or a similar business organization,…”
20231130_C363655_39_363655.Opn.Pdf (Mich. Ct. App. 2023).
· cites it 2× “MCL 600.8035(1). “An action must be assigned to a business court if all or part of the action includes a business or commercial dispute.”
— Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.8035(1) — 5 cases
John Mighion LLC v. Mht Fam. Props. I LLC (Mich. Ct. App. 2025).
“” Directly below the title the complaint states, “This is a business case in which all or part of action [sic] includes a business or commercial dispute under MCL 600.8035.” The first paragraph of the “Introduction and Parties” section states, “This case is brought under MCR 2.”
in Re Rhea Brody Living Trust (Mich. Ct. App. 2019).
“6 We have quoted from the current version of MCL 600.8035. The statute was amended effective on October 11, 2017, and the amendments apply to actions commenced on or after the effective date of the amendments.”
in Re Lewerenz Est. (Mich. Ct. App. 2021).
“8031(1)(c)(ii) to include: An action in which 1 or more of the parties is a business enterprise and the other parties are its or their present or former owners, managers, shareholders, members of a limited liability company [(an LLC)] or a similar business organization,…”
20231130_C363655_39_363655.Opn.Pdf (Mich. Ct. App. 2023).
“MCL 600.8035(1). “An action must be assigned to a business court if all or part of the action includes a business or commercial dispute.”
— Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.8035(3) — 7 cases
in Re Rhea Brody Living Trust (Mich. Ct. App. 2019).
“6 We have quoted from the current version of MCL 600.8035. The statute was amended effective on October 11, 2017, and the amendments apply to actions commenced on or after the effective date of the amendments.”
in the Matter of Rhea Brody Living Trust (Mich. Ct. App. 2017).
“PROBATE COURT JURISDICTION On appeal, Robert and Jay ask this Court to vacate the probate court’s orders for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. According to Robert and Jay, the trust action included a “business or commercial dispute” as defined in MCL 600.”
John Mighion LLC v. Mht Fam. Props. I LLC (Mich. Ct. App. 2025).
“” Directly below the title the complaint states, “This is a business case in which all or part of action [sic] includes a business or commercial dispute under MCL 600.8035.” The first paragraph of the “Introduction and Parties” section states, “This case is brought under MCR 2.”
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