By order today the Michigan Supreme Court adopted two court rule amendments, retained one, and closed the file on one. The two new rule amendments are:
- MCR 1.109 of the Michigan Court Rules, effective immediately. This change, originally part of a more comprehensive set of changes still under consideration whose intent the Bar supports, explicitly allows for the use of an electronic signature, and allows notarization by electronic process. The State Bar did not oppose this provision, and supported the extended comment period for the rest of the original package.
- MCR 3.204 of the Michigan Court Rules, effective 9/01/12. This change removes the requirement to file a new action as a supplemental complaint, allowing trial courts to consolidate cases in a way that is more compatible with trial court case management systems. The State Bar supported this change.
The retained amendment is MCR 3.616 of the Michigan Court Rules concerning foster care services. The amendment conforms the court rule to statute. The State Bar supported the amendment.
The Court declined to adopt a proposed new rule, MCR 3.220, which would have required the trial court judge to set a deadline for arbitration proceedings and approve any extensions of those time periods. Further, the proposed rule would have allowed arbitrators to issue interim awards during the arbitration proceeding. The State Bar opposed the amendment.
The text of the new rules and orders can be accessed at the Supreme Court website.