House Bill 5445 introduced last year by Rep. Douglas Wozniak from Shelby Township and supported by the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan, aims to improve how family cases are handled in Michigan’s circuit courts. The bill would create more stable judicial assignments, require specialized training, and strengthen the “one family, one judge” approach to family court cases. It draws directly from the success of Michigan’s specialized Business Courts, which were created back in 2012.
Michigan’s family divisions were designed to handle all the most personal and sensitive cases in one place including divorces, child custody battles, paternity cases, adoptions, juvenile matters, and domestic violence protection orders. These docket matters require a certain type of jurist.
The problem is that in many counties -including counties with a larger bench- judges rotate in and out of family court too frequently. Members of the family law section of the state bar often lament that a new judge might spend a year or two hearing family cases, then move on to the perceived greener pastures of the general civil docket.
The resulting judicial turnover means cases often get passed to new judges who are not experienced in family law and may not know the history of a particular family. Litigants then have to repeat their painful stories, hearings get delayed, rulings feel inconsistent, and everyone touching the family court gets frustrated. More specialized courts would aim to avoid these pitfalls.
The goal isn’t to create an entirely new court system, but to make the existing family divisions more professional and stable.
Michigan already has a successful example of specialization that has been in place for over 10 years: the Business Courts, created by Public Act 333 of 2012. This new legislation takes the lessons learned from the Business Court model and applies it in Family Court.
In circuits with three or more judges, certain commercial and business disputes are routed to dedicated “Business Court” dockets. Judges who hear these cases repeatedly become true experts. The system uses early case management, mediation, and consistent procedures, which has led to faster resolutions and more predictable outcomes. After more than a decade, the Business Courts are widely viewed as a success as they’ve improved efficiency and made Michigan more attractive for businesses.
What’s Similar Both HB 5445 and the Business Court model recognize that complex cases benefit from judges who actually specialize in that area. Both rely on local court plans approved by the Michigan Supreme Court, and both emphasize training and continuity. Supporters of the family court bill openly point to the Business Courts as proof that this approach can work.
What’s Different Business cases usually involve companies, money, and contracts; high-stakes but often less emotionally charged. Family cases are different. They involve parents, children, trauma, ongoing relationships, and incredibly personal decisions that must prioritize the “best interests of the child.” Because of this, HB 5445 puts heavier emphasis on mandatory training and tries to create more permanent judge assignments rather than just specialized dockets.
HB 5445 is a logical next step for Michigan’s courts. It takes the lessons learned from over a decade of specialized Business Courts and applies them to the much more human and emotional world of family law.
By creating more experienced, stable family court benches, the bill could reduce delays, improve consistency, and deliver better outcomes for families across the state. If passed, it will be important to study the results over time just like we did with the Business Courts to see what’s working and what might need adjustment.
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