Holland firm with a Grand Rapids office, serving Zeeland, Hudsonville, Allegan and West Michigan. Administers estates with or without a will, assists trustees with trust administration, obtains guardianship and conservatorship orders, and represents beneficiaries and fiduciaries in will and trust contests and breach-of-fiduciary claims.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Allegan County, Michigan
How probate works in Allegan County: the Probate Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Allegan County Probate Court
Allegan County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
113 Chestnut Street, Allegan, MI 49010
Website
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
Self-represented filing
AllowedThe court's deceased estates page lists the forms to open an informal or a formal estate and links its own written instructions for each.
Accepted payment
- At the counterCash, Check, Money order, Credit card, Debit card.A service fee is added to every card payment. For an email or fax filing, pay the filing fee first through AllPaid using court code 7299.
Self-help center
- First floor, Allegan County Courthouse1-269-686-5221 · alleganlac@gmail.com · Monday 9:00 AM-3:00 PM; Tuesday-Thursday 9:00 AM-4:00 PM; Friday 8:30 AM-2:30 PMThe Legal Assistance Center gives self-represented people legal information, tools and court-approved forms for civil matters, guardianship among them. Help is walk-in and face to face only, and the last visitor is seen 30 minutes before closing.
County forms
- Instructions for Informal Deceased EstatesThe court's step-by-step instructions for opening an informal estate.
- Instructions for Formal Deceased EstatesThe court's step-by-step instructions for opening a formal estate.
Fax
1-269-686-5157
Departments
- Mental Healthprobatemh@allegancounty.orgMental health filings and correspondence go to this address.
About the court
- The court holds wills for safekeeping. Case status can be checked in the court's public record database.
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Allegan County
Probate is the court-supervised process of settling someone's estate after they die — validating the will, paying debts and taxes, and transferring what's left to the heirs. In Allegan, probate runs through the Probate Court at 113 Chestnut Street, Allegan.
The personal representative opens the case, gives notice to heirs and creditors, files an inventory of the estate's assets, settles outstanding debts and taxes, and then distributes the remainder under the will — or under Michigan intestacy law when there is no will.
Most Michigan estates take 7 months to 12 months to move through this process. 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 a claim, counted from the first publication of the notice to creditors.
What Probate Costs in Allegan County
What probate costs in Allegan County, Michigan comes down to a handful of line items — the court filing fee, attorney and executor compensation, publication, and sometimes a bond — scaled by the estate's size and whether the will is contested. The case itself runs through the Probate Court at 113 Chestnut Street, Allegan.
Michigan charges $175MCL §§ 600.880(1), 600.1986(1)(a)Verified Oct 17, 2026View source to open probate, the same in every county. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
Estimate the costs for this estate:
Attorney fees in Michigan are negotiated, typically 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 estate value. Flat-fee arrangements are common for straightforward estates.
Michigan allows executors 'reasonable compensation' — around 2.2%–3.8% of a $500,000 estate, judging by what the states with statutory schedules payMCL 700.3719 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
Michigan requires publishing notice to creditors in a local newspaper, and the estate pays for it.
Probate in Michigan typically runs 7 months to 12 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
How to File Probate at the Probate Court
Probate cases in Allegan County are filed at the Probate Court. File in person during business hours or by mail.
Beside the filing office, the court lists a separate line for Mental Health.
The Legal Assistance Center gives self-represented people legal information, tools and court-approved forms for civil matters, guardianship among them. Help is walk-in and face to face only, and the last visitor is seen 30 minutes before closing.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
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.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Allegan County Self-Filing Assessment.
Allegan County Filing Requirements
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Before You File
Email and fax filing accepted
Every email or fax filing must show the case name, case number, document title, and the sender's name and phone number, and may run no more than 20 pages with exhibits. Documents received during business hours are filed that day; anything received after hours, on a weekend or on a court holiday is filed the next business day. A fax filing carries a transmission fee of $3 for the first page and $1 for each additional page, and each transmission goes with the court's Credit Card Payment Form.
SourceDocuments due seven days before a hearing
Documents for a hearing must be on file seven days before it, and a document counts as filed when the court stamps it received. The court asks filers to wait 14 days before calling about a filing that does not yet show in its case search.
SourceWhat to Bring
Filed with the opening petition at the Probate Court: TWO copies of the death certificate (or of alternative documentation of death if no certificate), one of them redacted of protected personal identifying information (MCR 5.302(A)(1); MCL 700.3301, 700.3402); Original will and any codicils, if testate (MCL 700.3301(1)(b)(i), 700.3402(1)(c); MCR 5.302(A)(3)); Testimony to Identify Heirs (PC 565) — mandatory with the commencing application or petition (MCR 5.302(B))MCL 700.3301-700.3311 (informal); MCL 700.3401-700.3414 (formal); MCL 700.3103, 700.3601 (letters)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
Death Certificates and the Medical Examiner in Allegan County
In Michigan a death is registered locally, and in Allegan County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Vital Records Office, County Clerk, Allegan County as well as by Michigan Department of Health and Human Services - Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics.
Vital Records Office Record
County Clerk
Allegan County · Vital Records Office, County Clerk
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
113 Chestnut Street, Allegan, MI 49010
Website
Fax
1-269-686-5374
Local rule
- The office is on the main floor of the Allegan County Courthouse and holds death records from 1867 for deaths pronounced in Allegan County.
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $10 |
| Each additional copy ordered at the same time | $4 |
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Medical Examiner
Allegan County · Allegan County Medical Examiner
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
300 Portage Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49007
Website
Serves this county
WMed Medical Examiner and Forensic Services
Release of remains
1-844-337-6001 ext. 112 · After hours
Cremation authorization
Signed by this office
Mail and offices
1000 Oakland Drive
Kalamazoo, MI 49008
Fax
1-269-224-0262
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in Allegan County
Clearing title to real estate after a death, whether by a personal representative’s deed, an affidavit of survivorship, or a court order, happens at the Register of Deeds.
Deeds and other real property documents for Allegan County are recorded with the Register of Deeds at 3283 122nd Avenue, Allegan, MI 49010. Phone: 1-269-673-0390. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM.
The Register of Deeds charges $30 flat, regardless of page count.
Allegan County accepts electronic recording through CSC, Simplifile and ePN.
Recording Office Record
Register of Deeds
Allegan County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
3283 122nd Avenue, Allegan, MI 49010
Website
E-recording
available via CSC, Simplifile and ePN
Fees
Recording fees
| Flat fee (any length) | $30 |
MCL 600.2567(1)(a); MCL 600.2567a
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Forms that put a death on the title
- Free forms: Affidavit of Death Form · Affidavit of Heirship Form
Probate Attorneys Serving Allegan County
Michigan allows informal probate, so many families settle straightforward estates in Allegan County without hiring an attorney. A probate attorney earns the fee when the estate is contested, includes a business or out-of-state real estate, has unclear or insolvent debts, or when beneficiaries disagree.
Probate attorney fees in Michigan are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask an Allegan County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Probate Court, publishes the required creditor notices, prepares the inventory and accounting, handles creditor claims and tax filings, and guides the final distribution. They represent the personal representative — not the beneficiaries — a distinction that matters if a dispute develops.
Grand Rapids firm whose attorneys George and Christian Krupp represent clients in estate administration throughout Kent, Ottawa, Allegan, Barry, Newaygo, Montcalm and Ionia counties. Guides personal representatives through supervised and unsupervised Michigan probate, billed hourly from estate assets. Also prepares wills, trusts, living wills and powers of attorney on flat-fee or hourly terms.
Grand Rapids and Livonia estate firm started in 1994 by former Navy JAG attorney John Tamboer. For executors it obtains letters of authority and handles the notices and court filings to the end of the case; for successor trustees it handles private trust settlement, retitling and beneficiary notices, and it files small-estate petitions. The first administration consultation is free.
Elder law firm with offices in Charlevoix, Traverse City and East Jordan, serving 20 Northern Michigan counties and handling estate administration on Mackinac, Beaver and Drummond Islands. Handles probate and trust administration, trust disputes and will or trust contests, and conservatorship and guardianship matters, alongside Medicaid and veterans benefits planning.
Detroit firm, in practice since 1854, with estate offices in Detroit, Troy, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Grand Rapids and southwest Michigan. Represents personal representatives, trustees and beneficiaries in estate, trust, guardianship and conservatorship administration, will contests, trust litigation, fiduciary tax returns and estate tax audits, including estates over $100 million.
East Lansing elder law and probate firm with offices in Battle Creek, Jackson, Saginaw, Southfield, Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids. Helps fiduciaries with inventories, accountings and creditor claims, and its litigation team handles will and trust contests over undue influence, capacity and breach of fiduciary duty, guardianships and elder financial exploitation.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to verify their current practice areas and availability.
Legal Sources
(9)·
- MCL §§ 600.880(1), 600.1986(1)(a)
- MCL 700.3301-700.3311 (informal); MCL 700.3401-700.3414 (formal); MCL 700.3103, 700.3601 (letters)
- MCL 700.3302
- MCL 700.3719 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)
- MCL 700.3801, 700.3803, 700.3804, 700.3805, 700.3806; MCR 5.208, MCR 5.106
- MCL 600.2567(1)(a); MCL 600.2567a
- Allegan Probate Court, official page
- Allegan County Register of Deeds, official page
- Allegan County vital records and death investigation offices, official page
Data sourced from Michigan statutes and official state code. Fee percentages are modeled estimates; each figure's note says how. How we research.
Tools for Settling an Estate in Michigan
Free tools for settling an estate in Michigan: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool for Michigan.
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 Do I Settle a Trust?
Settling a trust in Michigan happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's Uniform Trust CodeMCL 700.7101 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries within 63 daysMCL 700.7814, 700.7905; MCL 700.7109Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
See the Steps
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.
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