40th Circuit Court

The Circuit Court is the trial court of general jurisdiction in Michigan.  It has jurisdiction over all actions except those given by state law to another court.

The Lapeer County Clerk is the official "keeper of the records," as the Clerk of the Circuit Court.  The Circuit Court is the trial court of general jurisdiction in Michigan.  It has jurisdiction over all actions except those given by state law to another court.

“The county clerk of each county shall be the clerk of the circuit court for the county”

(MCL 60001.571 (a)

The Clerk of the Court, Circuit Court Division, is the filing office of the 40th Circuit Court.  Duties include the responsibility to maintain and house all Circuit Court files; provide record copies and certification services, maintenance of the Circuit Court Motion hearing dockets including attending Circuit Court proceedings. The payments on criminal felony cases are collected through the vital records division of the County Clerk’s office or by using the following Circuit Court Felony Fine Payments link. 

The Circuit Court division has the following:

  • Civil Division
  • Criminal Division
  • Family Division

The Lapeer County Circuit Court Clerk’s office is located on the 2nd floor of the Lapeer County Complex Building, 255 Clay Street Suite 227, Lapeer, MI. 48446 

Divisions

Civil Division

The Circuit Court Civil Division has jurisdiction over civil cases seeking damages in excess of $25,000, injunctions, real property disputes, corporation and partnership disputes, appeals from District and Probate Courts, appeals from governmental boards, zoning appeals, personal protection orders and similar matters.

  • Circuit Court Clerk
  • Personal Protection Orders
Criminal Division

The Circuit Court Criminal Division handles felony criminal cases (crimes with a penalty of more than a year in jail) and criminal appeals from District Court.

  • Circuit Court Probation
  • Payment of Fines, Costs and Restitution
Family Division

The Circuit Court Family Division is known as the Family Court.  That division was established to consolidate many of the Court's family or domestic functions and to implement the "one family one judge" concept in handling these cases.  The Family Court handles divorces and cases involving paternity, custody and parenting time, name changes, interstate domestic cases, emancipation of minors, protective proceedings for children and juvenile delinquency cases.

Family Court - Juvenile Division
810-667-0270
Adoptions
Child Protection Proceedings
Juvenile Delinquency

Family Court - Domestic Division
810-667-0358
Custody & Parenting Time / Support
Divorce Proceedings
Emancipation of Minors
Name Changes
Paternity Actions