Michigan Probate: The Basics
UPDATED: Sep 11, 2024
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Mary Martin
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Mary Martin has been a legal writer and editor for over 20 years, responsible for ensuring that content is straightforward, correct, and helpful for the consumer. In addition, she worked on writing monthly newsletter columns for media, lawyers, and consumers. Ms. Martin also has experience with internal staff and HR operations. Mary was employed for almost 30 years by the nationwide legal publi...
Published Legal Expert
UPDATED: Sep 11, 2024
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right legal decisions.
We strive to help you make confident insurance and legal decisions. Finding trusted and reliable insurance quotes and legal advice should be easy. This doesn’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own.
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about legal topics and insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything legal and insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by experts.
UPDATED: Sep 11, 2024
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right legal decisions.
We strive to help you make confident insurance and legal decisions. Finding trusted and reliable insurance quotes and legal advice should be easy. This doesn’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own.
UPDATED: Sep 11, 2024
It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right legal decisions.
We strive to help you make confident insurance and legal decisions. Finding trusted and reliable insurance quotes and legal advice should be easy. This doesn’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own.
When a person dies in Michigan, the collection and distribution of their assets and property (collectively termed their “estate”) is governed by Michigan probate law. The probate process can seem daunting and complicated, but the good news is that for many estates, the probate process can be avoided. Here’s how to approach Michigan probate law on your own.
How to Bypass Michigan Probate
There are two types of Michigan property that can bypass the Michigan probate courts altogether: joint trusts and property owned in joint tenancy by more than one person. This means that joint homes, cars, or bank accounts can bypass probate, as well as living trusts that clearly designate a beneficiary. Due to the tax ramifications of living trusts, you should consider consult an experienced Michigan estate planning attorney before opting for a trust when planning your estate.
Additional Michigan Probate Resources
Michigan Probate Law (search “probate” in MCL Key Word Search)
Alger County
Alpena County
Bay County
Branch County
Calhoun County
Charlevoiz County
Clinton County
Eaton County
Genessee County
Grand Traverse County
Ingham County
Ionia County
Isabella County
Jackson County
Kalamazoo County
Kent County
Lapeer County
Leelanau County
Livingston County
Macomb County
Marquette County
Midland County
Monroe County
Oakland County
Oscoda County
Ottawa County
Roscommon County
St.Clair County
St. Joseph’s County
Washtenaw County
Wayne County
Also, see our article on Michigan Probate Procedure
Find the right lawyer for your legal issue.
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Mary Martin
Published Legal Expert
Mary Martin has been a legal writer and editor for over 20 years, responsible for ensuring that content is straightforward, correct, and helpful for the consumer. In addition, she worked on writing monthly newsletter columns for media, lawyers, and consumers. Ms. Martin also has experience with internal staff and HR operations. Mary was employed for almost 30 years by the nationwide legal publi...
Published Legal Expert
Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about legal topics and insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything legal and insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by experts.