Terms Used In Michigan Laws 600.601

  • Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Probate: Proving a will
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories belonging to the United States; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the district and territories. See Michigan Laws 8.3o
  (1) The circuit court has the power and jurisdiction that is any of the following:
  (a) Possessed by courts of record at the common law, as altered by the state constitution of 1963, the laws of this state, and the rules of the supreme court.
  (b) Possessed by courts and judges in chancery in England on March 1, 1847, as altered by the state constitution of 1963, the laws of this state, and the rules of the supreme court.
  (c) Prescribed by the rules of the supreme court.
  (2) The circuit court has exclusive jurisdiction over condemnation cases commenced under the drain code of 1956, 1956 PA 40, MCL 280.1 to 280.630.
  (3) In a judicial circuit in which the circuit court is affected by a plan of concurrent jurisdiction adopted under chapter 4, the circuit court has concurrent jurisdiction with the probate court or the district court, or both, as provided in the plan of concurrent jurisdiction.
  (4) The family division of circuit court has jurisdiction as provided in chapter 10.