Informal Probate Estate

Estates must be administered by the Informal Personal Representative or an attorney representing the Personal Representative. The Court cannot give legal advice, therefore, employees cannot assist in administering the estate. Court employees can provide direction and forms which would be required to probate an estate.

How to Start an Informal Probate Estate: 

There are numerous documents which are required to be filed within the Court file in an Informal Estate. These documents are:

Application for Informal Probate and/or Appointment of Personal Representative (pc558.pdf). 

Testimony,  Interested Persons (pc565.pdf).

Acceptance of Appointment (pc571.pdf). 

Original Will and/or Codicil (if testate).

Proof of Service (pc564.pdf) for Notice of Appointment and Duties of Personal Representative (pc573.pdf). 

Proof of Service (pc564.pdf) for Notice Regarding Attorney Fees (pc576.pdf) (if an attorney is assisting in probating the estate).

Inventory (pc577.pdf) (the original does not have to be filed, but it must be reviewed by the Probate Register to determine any inventory fee required).

Affidavit of Publication.

Sworn Statement to Close Unsupervised Administration (pc591.pdf). 

The Notice to Creditors form (pc574.pdf) must be completed and mailed to the local newspaper, along with the required publication fee. The Personal Representative shall publish notice in a local newspaper notifying creditors of the estate to present their claims within 4 months after the date of publication of the notice or be forever barred. The earliest an estate can be closed is 5 months from the date of commencement, provided the claims period of 4 months has elapsed.

Any Michigan estate or inheritance taxes shall be handled by the Personal Representative. The Livingston County Probate Court does not handle any aspect of this requirement.

There may be other documents which may be required to be done depending on the nature of the assets or matters which need to be administered in each individual estate. The Court has other estate forms which may be helpful in assisting the administration of the estate.