Rule 3.927.Prior Court Orders
Subchapter 3.900 — Proceedings Involving Juveniles · Last verified September 5, 2026
Full Text of Rule 3.927
Plain-English Summary
MCR 3.927 answers a question that surfaces whenever a juvenile case reaches a family that has already been to court: another Michigan judge has entered an order about this minor, so what happens now? The rule does not answer with a procedure of its own. It points to MCR 3.205, which governs both the manner of notice to the other court and the authority of the family division of the circuit court to proceed.
When the rule comes into play
Three things line up before the rule bites. The proceeding is a juvenile proceeding. It involves a minor. And that minor is subject to a prior order of another Michigan court. The rule does not sort juvenile proceedings into categories, and it does not narrow itself to one kind of prior order. If a Michigan court has already entered an order covering the minor, the rule speaks by its terms.
Two questions, one destination
The rule identifies two issues and sends both to the same place. The first is notice to the other court, and the rule assigns the manner of that notice to MCR 3.205. The second is authority: how the family division may go forward while the earlier order stands is settled in the same place. Because the two questions travel together, a reader of MCR 3.927 has one destination rather than two, and the answer to one is not stranded in a different rule from the answer to the other.
A pointer, not a procedure
There is no deadline in this rule, no form, no list of what a notice must contain, and no standard for deciding when the family division may act. Those details live in MCR 3.205. MCR 3.927 is a routing rule, and its work is done once a reader knows where to go. Reading it as a self-contained answer is the one mistake it invites.
Why the cross-reference exists
Juvenile proceedings rarely arrive on a blank slate. Custody, support, guardianship, and protective matters can put the same child in front of more than one Michigan court, and orders entered in ignorance of each other put families in an impossible spot. By tying the juvenile side of the docket to the same coordination rule that governs elsewhere, MCR 3.927 keeps one set of answers for the whole system instead of a juvenile-only variation on the same problem.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does MCR 3.927 apply?
It applies in a juvenile proceeding involving a minor who is subject to a prior order of another Michigan court. All three elements matter: a juvenile proceeding, a minor, and an existing order from a different Michigan court.
Does MCR 3.927 tell me how to notify the other court?
No. The rule states that the manner of notice is governed by MCR 3.205. It supplies no method, deadline, or contents of its own, so the operational answer comes from that rule.
Does a prior order from another court stop the family division from proceeding?
MCR 3.927 does not decide that question on its own terms. It provides that the authority of the family division of the circuit court to proceed is governed by MCR 3.205, so the answer turns on that rule rather than on anything stated here.
Does this rule cover orders entered by courts outside Michigan?
By its language the rule addresses a prior order of another Michigan court. It says nothing about orders from the courts of other states or from federal courts.
Which court receives the notice the rule refers to?
The other Michigan court, meaning the court whose prior order covers the minor. The rule names that court as the recipient and leaves the manner of reaching it to MCR 3.205.