48th Circuit Court

Circuit CourtDockets onlinePayments online

Contact

Address
113 Chestnut St., Allegan County Building, Allegan, MI 49010
Hours
M-F 8:00am-5:00pm (Family Division; general Circuit hours match).

Judges (3)

  • Honorable Emily Wilkey JippCircuit Judge
  • Honorable Margaret Zuzich BakkerCircuit Judge
  • Honorable Matthew W. AntkoviakChief Judge

Court contacts

Filing and payment

E-filing (MiFILE)
Not on SCAO's statewide MiFILE court list (checked 8/27/2026, list dated 7/23/2025) — either not yet on MiFILE, or on a system this particular list doesn't track. Verify directly with the court.
Payments
Circuit Court Case Search portal referenced; no distinct online-payment page found separate from Probate's ALLPAID option (code 7299).
Forms
Family Division Resources include an Application to Set Aside Juvenile Adjudication, Affidavit of Parentage, Financial Statement, Request for Court-Appointed Attorney, Request for Review of Referee Recommendation, and a published Family Court Plan.

Jurisdiction

Divisions
4 judicial officers: Hon. Matthew Antkoviak (Chief Circuit Court Judge), Hon. Emily W. Jipp, Hon. Margaret Zuzich Bakker, Hon. Jolene A. Clearwater (Presiding Family Court Judge, also sits in the Probate Courtroom). Referees: Bernal (Probate), Kasson & Sewell (Family Court), Pietszak & DeYoung (Friend of the Court). Address: Allegan County Courthouse, 113 Chestnut St., Allegan, MI 49010 (Family Division on the lower level); Circuit courtrooms A-C. Family Division phone (269) 673-0534, fax (269) 673-0466.
Special dockets
Family Division (Circuit Court) handles all juvenile delinquency and child-protection proceedings per MCL 712A.2 (jurisdiction transferred from Probate by 1996's Public Act 388) -- includes delinquency, community probation/juvenile diversion casework, protective proceedings, minor guardianships already under Family Court jurisdiction, adoptions, emancipation, name changes, and parental consent waivers. Friend of the Court handled separately (1-877-543-2660, code #255).

Also worth knowing

Notes
Directly relevant to child-welfare/juvenile practice: Allegan's Family Division (not Probate) is the venue for all delinquency and child-protection matters, and separately handles adoptions and minor emancipation.

SCAO court code C48. Compiled from the Michigan SCAO trial court directory and this court's own website, last checked 2026-08-28. Confirm anything time-sensitive with the court directly.