Probate in Wayne County

Probate Court Record

Wayne County Probate Court

Wayne County

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-12:30 PM and 1:30 PM-4:00 PM

Office

2 Woodward Avenue, Room 1307, Detroit, MI 48226

Self-represented filing

Allowed

Self-help forms

How to file probate in Wayne County →

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

Do I need a lawyer for probate in Wayne County? →Settling an estate in Wayne County →

Probate Firms Serving Wayne County

Bingham Farms firm that has guided Detroit and Oakland County families through probate for nearly three decades. Handles each stage of probate from the initial petition and asset inventory to creditor claims and distribution, administers trusts, and litigates will contests and probate and trust disputes. Guardianship, conservatorship and mediation round out the practice.

Serves 3 countiesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+3

Huntington Woods estate-and-probate firm practicing in the Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston, Monroe, Washtenaw and St. Clair County probate courts. Handles contested and uncontested probate and trust administration, guardianships and conservatorships, and litigation over wills, trusts and breach of fiduciary duty. Offers a free phone consultation.

Serves 7 countiesFree consultationVirtual consultationsEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+5

Mount Clemens firm founded in 1903, Macomb County's oldest continuous law firm, handling probate court matters primarily in Macomb, Wayne, Oakland and St. Clair Counties. Represents personal representatives and trustees in estate and trust administration and handles guardianships and conservatorships; will and trust contests are referred to local counsel.

Since 1903Serves 4 countiesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder LawConservatorship+4

Ann Arbor firm at Domino's Farms, open since 1948, handling probate in Washtenaw County and for families in nearby Wayne County communities such as Plymouth and Canton. Opens the estate, files the inventory, pays creditors, transfers assets to beneficiaries and closes the estate, and litigates in probate court when disputes cannot be resolved. Also handles guardianships and conservatorships.

Since 1948Serves 2 countiesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationConservatorshipGuardianship

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.

Serves 3 countiesFree consultationEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationTrust LitigationPowers Of AttorneyWills Trusts

Ann Arbor estate planning and probate firm founded by Terrence Quinn in 2008, serving Ann Arbor, Detroit, Canton, Ypsilanti and Chelsea. Represents clients in probate court for decedent estate administration and guardianship and conservatorship proceedings, helps trustees manage and distribute trust assets, and assists beneficiaries seeking them. Also does special needs and Medicaid planning.

Since 2008Serves 2 countiesFree consultationEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder LawConservatorship+4

All 28 Michigan probate firms serving Wayne County →

Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in Michigan

Free Michigan forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. Prepare each form for Michigan.

$12/month

Revocable Living Trust

Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.

Get Started
Free

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.

Get Started

All Michigan forms

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.

Calculate Costs

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.

See the Steps

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.

Calculate the Fee

Do I Need Probate?

In Michigan, estates with personal property of $53,000MCL 700.3983Verified Sep 8, 2026View source or less skip probate with the Affidavit of Decedent's SuccessorMCL 700.3983Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, 28 daysMCL 700.3983Verified Sep 8, 2026View source after death.

Get the Answer

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.

Check the Rules

Can I Self-File Probate?

In Michigan, informal probate is availableMCL 700.3302Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, and a self-represented executor can usually handle it for a simple, uncontested estate.

Get the Answer

All Michigan tools