I'm facing my third scheduling error in my debt defense case, and this time, calling the judge's clerk didn't fix it. During my 12/30/25 motion hearing, the Judge verbally pronounced a 60-day discovery deadline starting from that date (completion: 2/28/26). But when I called to confirm, and ensure a written order was filed, the clerk quickly insisted that written scheduling orders are not required (contradicting MCR 2.301(A)(2)) and that the case notes show the judge pronounced discovery on 12/10/25 instead—making my deadline 2/9/26. I attended all three hearings, and discovery was never mentioned until 12/30. When I stated that my notes from the 12/10 hearing didn't indicate the discovery began, the clerk insisted my memory was wrong and refused to research further.
This creates a real problem: MCR 2.301(B)(4) requires discovery requests to allow time for response before the completion date. If the deadline is really 2/9/26, I'm already effectively late, despite the clerk also stating that it's fine to file discovery requests up until the discovery deadline, regardless of response times.
I'm considering filing a Motion to Correct Record under MCR 2.612(C) to force judicial clarification. I believe the judge is already prejudiced against me, so I'm concerned it may harm my case to do so.
I need community input: Has anyone experienced similar situations where clerk interpretations conflicted with what the judge actually said in court? How did you resolve it? What worked—and what didn't?