Michigan courts
When must I answer an ordinary Michigan civil complaint after personal service in the state?
Answer an ordinary Michigan civil complaint after personal service in the state is governed by MCR 2.108(A)(1). This page does not calculate a date. This is the sourced base period, not a final filing date. Read the rule text and the noted conditions before relying on any date.
Read why no date is calculated- Period
- 21 calendar days
- Trigger
- Personal service of the summons and complaint on the defendant in Michigan
- Rule
- MCR 2.108(A)(1)
Michigan rules as encoded, holiday calendar not bundled
Source guide · No automated date
Why this page does not calculate a date
This is the sourced base period, not a final filing date. Apply the cited computation rule, current legal holidays, court closures, service branch and any order before use.
Read Michigan Courts court rulesA defendant must serve and file an answer or take other action permitted by law or these rules within 21 days after being served with the summons and a copy of the complaint in Michigan.
MCR 2.108(A)(1)
Which date starts the 21-day period?
The period runs from the personal service of the summons and complaint on the defendant in Michigan.
Count forward from the trigger event. Confirm the event on the docket or in the service record before entering a date.
Read Michigan Courts court rulesA defendant must serve and file an answer or take other action permitted by law or these rules within 21 days after being served with the summons and a copy of the complaint in Michigan.
MCR 2.108(A)(1)
This period runs from the specific event in the cited rule. Do not substitute a nearby date such as a hearing, a courtesy copy or the day you first learned of it.
Which date do I enter?How are the 21 calendar days counted?
- Exclude the day of the trigger event.
- Count every following day, including intermediate Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays.
- If the last day is a Saturday or Sunday, continue to the next day that is not one. Check the state holiday calendar yourself.
Exclude the trigger day and count calendar days under MCR 1.108.
If the final day is a Saturday or Sunday the computation rule carries it to the next open day. Michigan legal holidays and court closures are not bundled, so every calculated date is a review date.
Michigan computes time under MCR 1.108. This calculator does not bundle Michigan legal holidays or court closures, so every calculated date is a review date until the calendar is confirmed.
Read MCR 1.108The calculation gives the ordinary national-rule date. Check relevant holidays, the court’s accessibility and its filing cutoff separately.
Review the filing checklistWhy no worked calculation is shown
No date is calculated on this page because the encoded provision could not be reduced to one fixed period. Read the rule text, the starting event and the noted branches, then confirm the period in the current rules before relying on any date.
This is the sourced base period, not a final filing date. Apply the cited computation rule, current legal holidays, court closures, service branch and any order before use.
Can an order, motion or extension change the deadline?
- Extensions
- The court may enlarge time under MCR 1.108 or MCR 2.108 as applicable; no extension is assumed.
- Orders and local rules
- A scheduling order, stipulation approved by the court, standing order or local rule can set a different period and controls over the national default.
- The court may enlarge time under MCR 1.108 or MCR 2.108 as applicable; no extension is assumed.
- A stipulation, scheduling order, standing order or local rule can set a different period and controls over the national default.
- This is the sourced base period, not a final filing date. Apply the cited computation rule, current legal holidays, court closures, service branch and any order before use.
What should I check before filing?
These checks help you review the result. They do not activate a calendar date or certify that the deadline applies.
Common questions
Find answers about when this 21-day period starts, how it is counted, what can change it and how to keep your calculation.
Starting the clock
Does the clock start on the personal service of the summons and complaint on the defendant in Michigan, or when I first learned of it?
The period runs from the personal service of the summons and complaint on the defendant in Michigan as the rule defines it, not from the day you read about it, received a courtesy copy or attended a hearing. Use the date shown on the docket or in the service record.
Counting days and filing
Is it 21 calendar days or business days?
Calendar days. Count intermediate weekends and holidays. If the final day is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, MCR 1.108 carries it forward to the next day that is not one of those.
MCR 1.108Which time zone and filing cutoff apply?
Michigan filing rules and the court’s electronic filing system set the cutoff. This calculator does not verify filing hours or system availability.
MCR 1.108What if the court is inaccessible on the last day?
MCR 1.108 and the court’s administrative orders govern an inaccessible clerk’s office. Check the court’s notices. This calculator does not predict a closure.
MCR 1.108Extensions and local rules
Can the court extend this deadline?
The court may enlarge time under MCR 1.108 or MCR 2.108 as applicable; no extension is assumed. A request does not itself extend the period, and no discretionary extension is calculated here.
Do local rules, standing orders or a scheduling order change the date?
They can. Many courts set their own periods by local rule, standing order or case-specific order, and those control over the national default. This calculator gives the national-rule date only; compare it with any order in the case before relying on it.
Choosing the right calculator
Does this calculator decide whether the rule applies to my case?
No. It calculates a period from the date you provide under the cited rule. It does not decide whether the rule governs your filing, whether an exception applies, or whether the filing has merit. Those questions need separate review.
Can I calculate the deadline without an account?
Yes. Enter the trigger date to see the free national-rule calculation, citation, counting steps and warnings. You can add court context after the result. Missing court review keeps the result provisional.
Results, records and your case
What is included in an Evidence Record?
The retained inputs, result, cited rule, calculation working, warnings and review state. The PDF includes a payload digest and retained-data appendix, and the record can be verified against its fingerprint later. It records the calculation, not a guarantee of legal correctness.
Does saving to a case activate the calendar?
Not automatically. Provisional records remain subject to review. A separately labeled manual date does not alter the original calculation.
Official sources and review
The period and the counting method come from different provisions. The official source is the court’s published rules; the reading links open the rule text at the Legal Information Institute.
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| MCR 2.108(A)(1) | Trigger and period |
| MCR 1.108 | Counting, holidays and the last day |
Rule record reviewed . Guide sources checked . Next source check .
Published by Deadline Engine. This tool calculates the ordinary period under the cited rule. It does not decide whether the rule applies, obtain an extension or file anything for you.