How to calculate fee waiver & indigency screener in Michigan

Quick takeaways

• Michigan’s fee waiver/suspension framework is governed by MCR 2.002, which allows suspension of fees and costs for indigent persons when a party shows—by ex parte affidavit or otherwise—that they are receiving any form of public assistance.
• DocketMath’s fee-waiver-indigency calculator helps you turn your case facts into a consistent indigency screener output designed for Michigan (US-MI) workflows.
• The calculator’s core logic should map to MCR 2.002’s threshold concepts (public assistance + affidavit/other showing) rather than relying on any claim-type-specific shortcuts.
• Based on the materials provided, there was no claim-type-specific sub-rule identified—so treat MCR 2.002 as the general/default rule for the period reflected in the excerpt.

Inputs you need

Before you use DocketMath’s fee-waiver-indigency tool for US-MI (Michigan), gather facts that align with MCR 2.002.

A. Public assistance (primary trigger)

MCR 2.002 states that if a party “shows by ex parte affidavit or otherwise” that they are receiving “any form of public assistance,” then payment of fees and costs for that party “shall be suspended.”

Use these inputs to capture the “public assistance” showing:

• Are you receiving any form of public assistance?
• What type(s) of public assistance are you receiving? (Use the label/name as stated on benefit documentation.)
• Do you have a basis to support it via an ex parte affidavit (or another acceptable method per your process)?

B. Alternative indigency showing (secondary support)

The same MCR 2.002 language also contemplates a showing “by ex parte affidavit or otherwise,” which means the pathway is not limited to a single documentary label—your process may accept an alternate evidentiary showing.

Collect:

• Do you have documentation or sworn explanation (beyond public assistance) supporting inability to pay fees/costs?
• Do you have a credible indigency narrative you can support with what your workflow requires?

C. Workflow context (helps you use the tool correctly)

MCR 2.002 is about waiver/suspension mechanics. Your workflow may vary depending on timing and court/process, even when the underlying rule concepts stay the same.

• What court/process are you preparing for?
• When do you plan to submit the affidavit/showing?

How the calculation works

DocketMath’s fee-waiver-indigency calculator is designed to reflect jurisdiction-aware decision points drawn from MCR 2.002 (Michigan).

You can start from the calculator here: /tools/fee-waiver-indigency.

Step 1: Apply the main MCR 2.002 suspension trigger

Per MCR 2.002, the core trigger is:

• If a party shows they are receiving “any form of public assistance” via “ex parte affidavit or otherwise,”
• then payment of fees and costs “shall be suspended.”

Calculator concept (Michigan / MCR 2.002):

• If Public assistance = Yes, the output should reflect a strong likelihood of satisfying the rule’s threshold, based on the information you provide.
• If Public assistance = No / unknown / not provided, the output should shift toward secondary evaluation—whether your other indigency showing inputs are enough to support the “by affidavit or otherwise” requirement in your workflow.

Step 2: Check alignment with the “ex parte affidavit or otherwise” mechanism

MCR 2.002 highlights the method: the court rule uses an ex parte affidavit (or “otherwise”) mechanism.

Calculator concept:

• If your inputs indicate you can support the showing through an ex parte affidavit (or a clearly described alternative method in your process), the calculator output should show better procedural alignment.
• If your evidence plan is unclear, the calculator output should reflect lower confidence, even if you feel the underlying financial facts are favorable.

Step 3: Use the general/default approach (no claim-type-specific branch)

Your provided materials noted: “No claim-type-specific sub-rule was found.” That matters for how you should use the tool.

Calculator concept:

• The safest Michigan workflow—based on the excerpt you provided—is to treat MCR 2.002 as the general/default rule for this screening step.
• Avoid forcing a “claim-type-specific” selection unless you have an identified Michigan rule subsection or order framework that actually creates that branch.

Step 4: Treat the output as a screener, not a final promise

Use the tool output as:

• a screening signal (do your facts map to the rule’s threshold concepts?), and
• an evidence readiness check (do you have enough for an affidavit-based / otherwise-supported showing?).

Practical interpretation checklist:

• Does the output clearly reflect whether you are receiving public assistance?
• Does it reflect whether your supporting plan is anchored to ex parte affidavit (or an “otherwise” alternative your process supports)?
• Does it use MCR 2.002 general/default logic rather than forcing a claim-type branch?

Quick reference: how your inputs change the output (conceptually)

Common pitfalls

1. Skipping the “public assistance” threshold

   • MCR 2.002 is explicit: it keys off receiving “any form of public assistance.”
   • Don’t replace that with a vague “I can’t afford it” statement if you can instead capture the public assistance fact directly.

2. Weak alignment with the affidavit-based mechanism

   • The rule emphasizes “ex parte affidavit or otherwise.”
   • If your plan for sworn support is incomplete, your screener readiness may be overstated.

3. Assuming claim-type-specific rules exist when you don’t have them

   • Since no claim-type-specific sub-rule was found in the provided materials, treat MCR 2.002 as general/default for this screening step.

4. Treating the screener as the same thing as court determination

   • Screens help organize evidence and facts; they don’t guarantee acceptance.
   • Courts may scrutinize the sworn facts, documentation, and timing required by local practice.

Sources and references

• MCR 2.002 (Waiver or Suspension of Fees and Costs for Indigent Persons) — Michigan Court Rules
  Source link: https://courts.michigan.gov/siteassets/rules-instructions-administrative-orders/michigan-court-rules/court-rules-book-ch-2-responsive-html5.zip/index.html
  Key excerpt used: MCR 2.002 provides that if a party shows “by ex parte affidavit or otherwise” that they are receiving “any form of public assistance,” payment of fees and costs for that party “shall be suspended.”
  (Excerpt truncated in the provided text; TODO: add any additional MCR 2.002 text you want reflected in DocketMath if you have it.)

Next steps

1. Run the Michigan screener in DocketMath

   • Go to /tools/fee-waiver-indigency.
   • Enter whether you receive any form of public assistance and what type(s).
   • Indicate whether you have a basis for an ex parte affidavit (or another supported “otherwise” method in your process).

2. Confirm your evidence package

   • Verify you can support the public assistance fact and the indigency narrative with information you can truthfully present in the format required.

3. Use the output to refine your affidavit narrative

   • If the screener indicates lower readiness, improve the parts most tied to MCR 2.002:

     • make the public assistance showing clearer (if applicable), and/or
     • tighten your affidavit/ex parte (or other supported) evidence plan.

Related reading

• How to calculate fee waiver & indigency screener in New York — Full how-to guide with jurisdiction-specific rules
• How to file in forma pauperis in Alabama — Direct answer to the question
• How to file in forma pauperis in Alaska — Direct answer to the question