This article investigates the impact of a sudden application or sudden withdrawal of a magnetic field on an unsteady MHD Couette flow formation in a parallel plate channel. The governing momentum equation is derived and solved exactly in Laplace domain using the Laplace transform technique with the necessary initial and boundary conditions to capture the present physical situation for the cases; sudden application or sudden withdrawal of a magnetic field. Due to the complexity of the solution obtained, the Riemann-sum approximation technique is used to transform the Laplace domain to time domain. During the course of graphical and tabular representations, results show that the Hartmann number, time and nature of application of a magnetic field play an important role in the transition from hydrodynamic to magnetohydrodynamic flow and vice-versa. Also, fluid velocity steady-state solution is independent on whether the magnetic field is fixed relative to the moving plate or to the fluid for sudden withdrawal of magnetic field. In addition, the application of a sudden magnetic field leads to a delay in the attainment of steady-state solution.