The Oakland County divorce court is changing.
Mandatory retirement, judicial appointments and elections in November will result in even more changes at Oakland County divorce court.
The Oakland County divorce court is made up of Judges from both circuit court and probate court. These judges specialize in hearing family law cases such as divorce, custody, support, and parenting time. The Oakland County divorce court is located at 1200 N. Telegraph Rd, Pontiac, Michigan.
The Changes at the Oakland County divorce court
OUT: Cheryl A. Matthews
- The Honorable Cheryl A. Matthews has left the Oakland County divorce court. Judge Matthews was elected to the Oakland County Circuit Court in November of 2004 and a former Oakland County Circuit Court prosecutor. Judge Matthews is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Fordham University School of Law.
IN: Jeffrey S. Matis
- The Honorable Jeffrey S. Matis was assigned to the Family division of the Oakland County Circuit Court by Governor Snyder. Judge Matis is a 1994 graduate of the University of Detroit School of Law and Oakland University. He is the former vice chairman of the Oakland County Board of Commissioners and a former Rochester City Councilman.
OUT: Rudy Nichols
- The Honorable Judge Rudy Nichols. Judge Nichols retired in 2010 and was replaced after the 2014 election by Judge Lisa Langton.
IN: Lisa Langton
- The Honorable Lisa Langton was elected in November 2014. The majority of her legal career has been spent in public service as an employee of the Oakland County Circuit Court where she was a deputy law clerk for Judge Rudy Nichols and a judicial staff attorney. Judge Langton is a 1988 graduate of Detroit College of Law and a 1982 graduate of Ball State University.
More changes are gonna come . . .
OUT (Almost): Elizabeth Pezzetti
- The Honorable Elizabeth Pezzetti was appointed to the Oakland County Probate Court in 2001 and a graduate of Wayne State University School of Law. Judge Pezzetti is retiring and her replacement will be elected November 2016.
IN (TBD): Judge Pezzetti’s replacement will be determined in the November 2016 election.
OUT (Almost): Joan Young
- The Honorable Joan E. Young was appointed to the Oakland County Circuit Court in March of 1997 and is the presiding Judge the Adult Treatment Court. Judge Young is retiring and her replacement will be elected November 2016.
IN (TBD): Judge Young’s replacement will be determined in the November 2016 election.
The Final Four
Only time will tell the impact of the recent changes in the family division of the Oakland County Circuit Court. The remaining judges in the Oakland County divorce court are:
- The Honorable Mary Ellen Brennan is the presiding judge of the Oakland County Family-Focused Juvenile Drug Court. Judge Brennan was elected to the Oakland County Circuit Court on November 4, 2008 and is a graduate of James Madison College of Michigan State University and Wayne State University Law School.
- The Honorable Lisa Gorcyca was elected to the Oakland County Circuit Court in November of 2008. She is a graduate of Michigan State University and Detroit College of law.
- The Honorable Linda S. Hallmark is the Chief Probate Judge and former presiding Judge of the Circuit Court Family Division. She is a graduate of Michigan State University and Wayne State University School of law.
- The Honorable Karen D. McDonald was elected to the Oakland County Circuit Court in November of 2012. She is a graduate of Wayne State University School of law.
The Oakland County Friend of the Court provides services to parties with minor children involving divorce, family support, interstate and paternity cases. The Friend of the court is located at 230 Elizabeth Lake Rd., Pontiac, Michigan a few miles from the Court House. The Oakland County Friend of the Court is staffed by referees, counselors, support specialists and support staff that assist the Oakland County Circuit Court Judges resolve disputes and perform other administrative functions.
An important consideration before entering the Oakland County Circuit Court and the Oakland County Friend of the Court are the security requirements. You will be subject to building security before you enter the court and must pass through a medical detector. The specific items being banned changes however, cellphones with a camera and weapons are always banned.
Oakland County divorce court resources
For many divorce, custody and family law related issues, there is no need to travel all of the way to the courthouse. You can access many resources online.
The Oakland County Friend of the Court also has many online resources including:
- Oakland County Friend of the Court website.
- Oakland County divorce court’s FAQ website
About Findling Law:
I have been in practice for almost 20 years and practice exclusively in divorce and family law. My practice includes several attorneys who share the core value of practicing law to help people navigate change in their life, without compromising principles. We have extensive experience in high socio-economic, high profile and high conflict cases which has nurtured a skill set applicable to all divorce and family law cases regardless of socio-economic status. We recognize that it is the application of the law that is most important aspect of practice. That is why we provide more free information on divorce and family law than any other Michigan law firm.
We want to help you manage your situation. Let our exceptional legal team help you . . .
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By: Daniel Findling