Marquette firm with a by-appointment office in Hancock, serving clients across the Upper Peninsula for more than 100 years. Administers and settles estates through probate and trust administration, and plans long-term care Medicaid eligibility and special needs trusts. Estate plans include wills, trusts, and planning for family camps and cottages.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Delta County, Michigan
How probate works in Delta County: the Probate Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Delta County Probate Court
Delta County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-noon and 1:00 PM-4:00 PM
Office
310 Ludington Street, Escanaba, MI 49829
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
E-filing
Required for attorneysThe probate court takes filings through MiFILE, the statewide e-filing system, and attorneys must e-file. Self-represented filers may still file on paper. On paper: Self-represented filers may file on paper; e-filing is required of attorneys only (MCR 1.109(G)(3)(f)).
Self-represented filing
AllowedSelf-represented filers may file on paper; only attorneys are required to e-file here. A filer who chooses MiFILE needs a free MiFILE account.
About the court
- The court is in the Delta County Building in Escanaba.
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Delta 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 Delta County, probate runs through the Probate Court at 310 Ludington Street, Escanaba. Electronic probate filing sets Delta County apart — only 16 Michigan counties accept it, with the rest filing on paper.
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 Delta County
What probate costs in Delta 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 310 Ludington Street, Escanaba.
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 Delta County, Michigan are filed at the Probate Court.
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 Delta County Self-Filing Assessment.
What 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 Delta County
In Michigan a death is registered locally, and in Delta County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by County Clerk, Delta 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
Delta County · County Clerk
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Office
310 Ludington Street, Suite 104, Escanaba, MI 49829
Website
Fax
1-906-789-5179
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $10 |
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Medical Examiner
Delta County · Delta County Medical Examiner
Phone
Website
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in Delta 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 Delta County are recorded with the Register of Deeds at 310 Ludington Street, Suite 104, Escanaba, MI 49829. Phone: 1-906-789-5100. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM.
The Register of Deeds charges $30 flat, regardless of page count.
Recording Office Record
Register of Deeds
Delta County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Office
310 Ludington Street, Suite 104, Escanaba, MI 49829
Website
Fax
1-906-789-5179
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 Delta County
Michigan allows informal probate, so many families settle straightforward estates in Delta 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 a Delta 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.
Escanaba firm at the corner of North 9th and Ludington Streets that has served Michigan's Upper Peninsula since 1941. Handles wills, trusts and probate, including guardianships and conservatorships, for Delta County families and the surrounding UP. Estate work sits beside real estate, business, family law and civil litigation.
Ishpeming firm near the Marquette County Probate Court whose attorneys practice in all 15 Upper Peninsula counties. Handles probate and trust administration, guardianships and conservatorships, and will and trust disputes, and plans for nursing home care, Medicaid applications and special needs trusts. James Steward was the first Certified Elder Law Attorney in the Upper Peninsula.
Sault Ste. Marie and Marquette office serving Michigan's Upper Peninsula since 1985. Guides executors through probate, prepares formal accountings of estates and trusts, and litigates will contests, undue influence claims, removal of trustees and executors, surcharge actions, creditor claims and probate appeals. Wills and trusts, bankruptcy and real estate round out the practice.
Upper Peninsula firm with offices in Houghton and Marquette serving Houghton, Keweenaw and Marquette Counties, including Calumet, Hancock, Negaunee and Ishpeming. Advises executors on their duties and represents the estate in court when a will or other probate document is challenged, alongside wills, trusts, living wills and special needs trusts.
Lansing firm tracing its origins to 1902, with a Trusts and Estates group in Lansing, Grand Rapids, Holland, Southfield and Detroit serving families, family businesses and fiduciaries throughout Michigan. The group handles trust and estate administration and trust and estate litigation, alongside gift tax, business succession, and Medicaid and elder law planning.
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
- Delta County Probate Court, official page
- Delta County Register of Deeds, official page
- Delta 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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