Court Specialist

Allegan County has much to offer, with 24 Townships, 9 Cities, and 2 Villages across nearly 900 square miles. The landscapes range from the lakeshore to beautifully wooded lands, our County’s natural resources are a gift to be treasured. Allegan County businesses, citizens, and employees are world-class, and we remain a welcoming, closely-knit community. We are one of the fastest-growing counties in Michigan.
Allegan County Government places high importance on our core values: Respect, Integrity, Commitment and Honesty. A common thread among our leadership, employees and volunteers is a strong desire to serve and be part of something meaningful. We have been recognized by Gallagher as “Best in Class Winner” among mid-size companies for our excellence in optimizing employee and organizational well-being for three years in a row (2023-2025). We have also received the “Impact Award” from M.E.R.S. for excellence in educating our employees about their retirement plans and overall financial wellness. We are looking for dedicated, caring, energetic people to join our team!

Job Summary: 

Assists the courts in receiving and processing a variety of legal documents related to various court matters.  Schedules hearings and prepares notices.  Provides information to court patrons via phone, email, and at service window(s).  Courts Specialists work as a team along with other positions to maintain training and skills to meet needs within and across various courts as necessary.

Starting Wage: $26.41 per hour, full time position 

Excellent Benefits Plan:  Health benefits begin on the first of the month after your hire date
- Medical, Dental & Vision (3 medical plans to choose from, 2 of which have a $0 premium)
- County-funded Health Savings Account with our two high-deductible medical plans
- County-paid employee life insurance coverage
- County-paid short-term disability coverage, up to 52 weeks
- Generous retirement plan, including a county contribution of 7% of your annual earnings
- Tuition Reimbursement Program for college degree courses
- Generous PTO plan, including front-loaded hours into PTO bank at hire, and annually on January 1.
- 13 paid holidays, in addition to PTO
- FREE use of Allegan County government's two fitness centers 
 

Responsibilities and Duties: 

1. Opens, date stamps, sorts, reviews and distributes incoming mail.  Prepares outgoing mail.
2. Performs general case filing duties.
3. Schedules court hearings and issues notices of scheduled hearings to proper parties. 
4. Provides patron window coverage; receives and screens telephone calls, mail, clients and visitors; directing people to the proper person or location; provides basic care information and interprets court policy and procedures to court patrons.
5. Operates a computer terminal to enter, access, update and correct case and financial information and enters information into the electronic court file system
6. Performs clerical functions such as assisting the public with searches for legal documents and compiling information for reports. 
7. Provides backup court recording coverage for Circuit Court, Family Court, and Probate Court.
8. All other duties as assigned.
9. If assigned primarily to the Probate Court, will perform the following specific duties:
   1. Establishes independent case files, including but not limited to, mental, guardianship, conservatorship, and estate; enters case information into computer; manages storage of wills; files petitions and legal documents.
   2. Receives and receipts inventory and other fees; enters payments into the payment processing system and updated court record.
   3. Audits inventories and accountings for accuracy, completeness and compliance with applicable statutes and court rules; notifies parties of errors and procedures for making corrections.
   4. Prepares, mails and maintains records of fiduciary report reminders to fiduciaries and billings including guardians ad litem.
10. If assigned primarily to the Probate Court, primary workspace will be located in the Probate Administrative Offices and reports to the Probate Register/Administrator.
11. If assigned primarily to Circuit Court, will perform the following specific functions:
    1. Serves as liaison to other courts to coordinate cases on assignment.
    2. Serves as ADR clerk and monitors mediation statuses.
    3. Provides backup services for jury trials including checking jurors in, checking jurors out, and answering scheduling questions.
12. If assigned primarily to Circuit Court, primary workspace will be located in the Circuit Court Judicial Chambers and reports to the Circuit Court Administrator.

Qualifications: 

• Education: High school graduation or GED equivalent.  Additional legal terminology, legal secretarial or related coursework desirable
• Experience:  Six to twelve (6-12) months of clerical experience, preferably in a court or closely related setting
• Certification/Licensure:  Certified Electronic Operator (CEO) or Certified Electronic Recorder (CER) by the Michigan Supreme Court at hire or within one (1) year of hire