Michigan Probate Guide
County-specific probate court contacts, filing fees, required forms, and step-by-step estate settlement guidance for executors in Michigan.
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Michigan Probate Guides
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The Michigan Probate Guide
Michigan probate guide. Learn when probate is needed, which small-estate paths may apply, and what deadlines control estate administration.
How to Avoid Probate in Michigan
How to avoid probate in Michigan guide. Compare trusts, beneficiary forms, survivorship title, and small estates.
Michigan Small-Estate Affidavit and Assignment
Michigan small-estate guide. Learn when the successor affidavit or petition and order for assignment may transfer estate property.
Michigan Probate Timeline and Deadline Guide
Michigan probate timeline guide. Track will delivery, the 28-day small-estate wait, and creditor claims.
Michigan Executor Duties and Personal Representative Steps
Michigan executor duties guide. Learn when court appointment matters, what a personal representative handles, and which probate deadlines shape the job.
Michigan Ancillary Probate for Out-of-State Estates
Michigan ancillary probate guide for families handling Michigan property when the decedent lived in another state.
Browse Michigan guide topics
Jump to court, executor, tax, planning, property, and probate-avoidance guides that match your next task.
Probate Basics
1Forms & Court
6Executor Duties
8- Michigan Executor Duties and Personal Representative Steps
- Michigan Ancillary Probate for Out-of-State Estates
- Michigan Conservatorship vs Probate
- Michigan Executor Compensation
- Michigan Letters of Authority
- Michigan Probate Accounting and Inventory Guide
- Michigan Probate Bond Requirements
- Michigan Trust Administration Guide
Taxes & Deadlines
11- Michigan Probate Timeline and Deadline Guide
- Michigan Death Certificate Copies for Probate
- Michigan Elective Share
- Michigan Estate Tax and Inheritance Tax Guide
- Michigan Exempt Property in Probate
- Michigan Family Allowance During Probate
- Michigan Omitted Spouse and Child
- Michigan Probate Costs and Court Fees
- Michigan Probate Deadlines and Creditor Claims
- Michigan Probate Debt Payment Priority
- Michigan Step-Up in Basis for Inherited Property
Planning Documents
8Property Transfer
5Types of Probate in Michigan
Michigan offers several probate procedures depending on estate value and circumstances.
Formal Probate
Court-supervised administration for estates that do not qualify for a shortcut.
- Timeline
- 6-12+ months
- Attorney
- Recommended
Simplified Probate
A shorter court process that may be available for qualifying estates.
- Timeline
- Varies
- Attorney
- Recommended
Small Estate Procedure
A limited shortcut for qualifying small estates.
- Timeline
- Varies
- Attorney
- Optional
Michigan Probate Courts by County
83 counties with detailed data
Showing 36 of 83 counties. Search by county name or show the full list.
Michigan Estate Law Overview
Michigan Estate Tax Info
Michigan tax information for estates
Federal estate tax info
Federal estate tax only applies to estates exceeding $15,000,000 (2026).
Who Inherits Without a Will?
Michigan intestate succession determines who receives probate property when a person dies without a valid will.
View spouse inheritance rules
The surviving spouse receives the entire intestate estate when no descendant or parent of the decedent survives.
The statutory dollar amount is adjusted under MCL 700.1210, so confirm the current adjusted amount for the date of death.
The statutory dollar amount is adjusted under MCL 700.1210, so confirm the current adjusted amount for the date of death.
The balance after the spouse share passes under the remaining intestacy rules. Confirm the adjusted dollar amount under MCL 700.1210.
This mixed-family rule applies when at least one decedent descendant is not also a descendant of the surviving spouse. Confirm the adjusted dollar amount under MCL 700.1210.
This rule applies when the decedent's surviving descendants are from outside the marriage to the surviving spouse. Confirm the adjusted dollar amount under MCL 700.1210.
View order of inheritance (no spouse)
- 1DescendantsBy representation
- 2ParentsEqually if both survive, or all to the surviving parent
- 3Descendants of parentsBy representation
- 4Grandparents and descendants of grandparentsGenerally one half to the paternal side and one half to the maternal side, with statutory fallback if one side has no surviving relatives
Michigan Homestead Protection
Michigan does not have a Florida-style constitutional homestead system for probate routing. Michigan has a probate homestead allowance, a Principal Residence Exemption for property tax, and limited statutory creditor exemptions that must be analyzed separately.
Size limits & qualifications
Inside city limits: No Florida-style municipal acreage limit promoted
Outside city limits: No Florida-style rural acreage limit promoted
Property types: Principal residence for property tax PRE, Estate residence or real property subject to ordinary title and probate analysis, Property potentially subject to secured liens, taxes, and claims
Restrictions on leaving homestead in will
With spouse, no minor children:
No Florida-style restricted devise rule promoted. Review the will, deed, trust, survivorship language, spouse rights, claims, and the homestead allowance.
With minor children:
No Florida-style minor-child homestead devise restriction is promoted. If no surviving spouse exists, minor and dependent children may share the homestead allowance under MCL 700.2402.
Exempt Property
Michigan gives a surviving spouse and certain children priority family protections through the homestead allowance, family allowance, and exempt property selection rules.
View exempt items
Family Allowance
Reasonable amount for maintenance during administration - Michigan provides a reasonable family allowance for the surviving spouse and qualifying minor or dependent children during estate administration.
Latest Michigan Articles
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Common Michigan Probate Mistakes to Avoid
Common Michigan probate mistakes can delay filings, create title problems, and raise personal-representative risk. Learn safer checks before transfers.
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Michigan Power of Attorney: Signing, Durability, and Agent Powers
Michigan power of attorney article for Chapter 556 financial POAs, durability after July 1, 2024, witnesses, notarization, and express powers.
Michigan Death Certificate Copies: Ordering Records for Probate
Michigan death certificate copies guide. Learn who can request death records, what certified copies cost, and when probate or title transfers may need them.