Michigan Announces MI-Resolve Court ODR Program

“LANSING, MI, August 7, 2019 – The Michigan Supreme Court today announced the availability of MI-Resolve, an online service that provides an efficient and affordable way of resolving disputes that are typically filed as small claims, general civil, or landlord-tenant cases in the district court. Initially available in 17 counties, the online service is one of the first of its kind in the nation.

“Making court services more accessible means opening both real and virtual courtroom doors,” said Chief Justice Bridget M. McCormack. “With the help of groundbreaking services such as MI-Resolve, Michigan is a national leader in boosting access to justice online.”

Through MI-Resolve, parties can resolve their disputes online with or without the help of a trained neutral person, known as a mediator. The mediator works to help parties identify a solution to a dispute that best works for them; the system walks the parties through the steps to reach a resolution. The new online service is a game changer because people who are busy with work or children can benefit from mediation on their own schedule. Individuals do not need to have a case filed in court to use MI-Resolve, but if they do have a case pending in court, they can still use this service to try to reach a settlement before a hearing or trial date. Currently, there is no fee to use MI-Resolve.

Michigan’s pilot project is expected to expand statewide in the near future.”

To learn more, visit
https://courts.michigan.gov/News-Events/press_releases/Documents/Statewide%20Media%20Release%20ODR.pdf