Court papers, or papers of the court, is a general reference to the documents filed with the clerk of the court during the course of a civil lawsuit. These documents are generally accessible to the public and include the petition or complaint that initiated the lawsuit, the answer filed in response to the lawsuit, motions seeking certain types of relief from the court, responses opposing such motions, and other documents such as each party’s inventory of the property owned by the parties to a divorce and a social or home study analyzing parenting and child custody qualifications in a child custody dispute. Some documents created during a lawsuit are not filed with the court and are therefore not included in the papers of the court.

In Michigan, court papers or documents filed during a civil lawsuit are typically public records and can be accessed by the public. These documents include the initial complaint or petition, answers, motions, responses, and other relevant filings such as property inventories in divorce cases and reports from social or home studies in child custody disputes. However, not all documents created during a lawsuit are filed with the court; some may be exchanged between the parties and their attorneys without being part of the official court record. Michigan's court rules and statutes govern the accessibility of court documents, and there may be exceptions to public access for sensitive information, such as in cases involving minors or protected personal information. It's important to note that access to court documents can be subject to local court rules and may vary by jurisdiction within the state. Individuals seeking access to these documents can typically request them from the clerk of the court where the case is filed.