Flint firm on East Court Street, near the Genesee County Probate Court, with a Grand Blanc office. Guides personal representatives through creditor notice, inventory and distribution, uses the small-estate affidavit where it applies, administers trusts, and litigates will and trust contests over undue influence or lack of capacity. Craig Fiederlein has practiced there for 30+ years.
Probate in Oakland County
Probate Court Record
Oakland County Probate Court
Oakland County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Office
1200 North Telegraph Road, Dept 457, Pontiac, MI 48341
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Allowed
How to file probate in Oakland County →
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Oakland County? →Settling an estate in Oakland County →
Probate Litigation Firms Serving Oakland County
St. Clair Shores firm on Little Mack Avenue, formed in 1973, serving Macomb, Wayne and Oakland County families. Represents personal representatives defending an estate and relatives challenging a will or trust on grounds of incapacity, undue influence, a later document or an omitted beneficiary, and establishes guardianships and conservatorships. Ronald J. Cherf is the firm's active attorney.
Livonia firm on Farmington Road, in practice in the city since 1945, serving Livonia, Northville, Plymouth, Dearborn Heights and Farmington Hills. Files probate petitions, manages and distributes estate assets for personal representatives, helps trustees administer and distribute trusts, and represents clients in will contests, trust disputes and guardianship contests. Offers a free consultation.
Downtown Detroit solo practice serving Wayne and Oakland Counties in estate planning and probate for more than 10 years. Handles estate administration, litigates and mediates contested estates and disputes over a fiduciary, and petitions for guardianship and conservatorship. Also serves as an independent fiduciary and prepares wills, trusts and special needs trusts, with a free consultation.
Plymouth estate and probate office serving the surrounding cities of Wayne and Oakland Counties, and working remotely with clients in and outside Michigan. Handles complex and out-of-state probate administration, trust administration, will contests and trust litigation, and guardianship and conservatorship matters. Consultations are paid, credited if the client hires the firm within seven days.
Sterling Heights and Warren firm in Macomb County serving the Tri-County area. Handles probate when a personal representative must petition the court for authority, and contests to a will or trust over mental capacity, undue influence or fraud, and prepares wills, living trusts, powers of attorney, health care directives and deeds. Offers a free initial phone consultation.
All 20 Michigan probate litigation firms serving Oakland County →
Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in Michigan
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Revocable Living Trust
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Last Will and Testament
In Michigan, a will is signed before 2MCL 700.2502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyMCL 700.2502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
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Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in Michigan
Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in Michigan: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. Run each tool for Michigan.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in Michigan costs an estimated $25,430MCR 5.313(A) (attorney entitled to reasonable compensation; MRPC 1.5(a) factors); MCL 700.3721 (court reviews reasonableness of attorney compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 1.7%Modeled estimate under MCR 5.313(A) (attorney entitled to reasonable compensation; MRPC 1.5(a) factors); MCL 700.3721 (court reviews reasonableness of attorney compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.7%Modeled estimate under MCR 5.313(A) (attorney entitled to reasonable compensation; MRPC 1.5(a) factors); MCL 700.3721 (court reviews reasonableness of attorney compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.
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Who Inherits Without a Will?
Without a will in Michigan, a surviving spouse takes the first $301,000 plus half of the restMCL § 700.2102Verified Oct 21, 2026View source when every child of either spouse is a child of both, and descendants divide what passes to them per capita at each generationMCL § 700.2106Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
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What Are the Creditor Claim Deadlines?
In Michigan, creditors have 4 monthsMCL 700.3803Verified Sep 8, 2026View source from first publication of the creditor notice to present claims; late claims are barred.
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How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in Michigan: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 91 daysMCL 700.3706, 700.3707, 700.3708Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 4 monthsMCL 700.3801, 700.3803, 700.3804, 700.3805, 700.3806; MCR 5.208, MCR 5.106Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 5 months to 7 months.
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How Much Can an Executor Charge?
Michigan pays executors reasonable compensationMCL 700.3719 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, typically 2.2%Estimated from the 16 state statutes that set an executor fee schedule (median and interquartile range at this estate value)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.8%Estimated from the 16 state statutes that set an executor fee schedule (median and interquartile range at this estate value)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate.
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