Livingston County Probate Court
Estates for people who lived in Howell, Brighton, Hartland, Pinckney, Fowlerville and the rest of Livingston County are handled here.
The Livingston County Probate Court sits at the Judicial Center in Howell and handles decedents' estates, trust matters, guardianships and conservatorships, and mental health proceedings for county residents. It is one of the more flexible courts in the region about how filings arrive.
Where the court is
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Address | 204 S. Highlander Way, Howell, MI 48843 |
| Probate Court | (517) 546-3750 |
| Email filings | probatecourt@livgov.com |
| Fax filings | (517) 552-2510 |
How filings are accepted
- in person at the Judicial Center;
- in the secure drop box outside the Judicial Center, checked throughout the day; put the documents in an envelope marked "Probate Court";
- by email to the probate court address;
- by fax.
Fees for emailed or faxed filings can be paid by credit card over the phone. The court has been moving toward MiFILE e-filing, so confirm the current method before you send anything ; this is exactly the sort of detail that changes.
Formal and informal estates
Michigan gives families two tracks. Informal proceedings are handled by the probate register on paperwork alone and are the normal route for an uncontested estate. Formal proceedings go before the judge with notice to interested persons, and produce a final adjudication; the right choice where the will's validity, the heirs, or the choice of personal representative is genuinely in dispute.
A formal Livingston County filing generally includes:
- PC 559, Petition for Probate and/or Appointment of Personal Representative, with MC 97 ; filed in the county where the deceased lived;
- PC 565, Testimony, Interested Persons;
- the original will, if there is one;
- PC 571, Acceptance of Appointment, with MC 97a;
- a $175 filing fee payable to the Livingston County Probate Court.
After appointment, more follows: proof of service of the notice of appointment and duties, notice regarding attorney fees, the inventory reviewed by the probate register to set the inventory fee, the affidavit of publication, and eventually the sworn statement or accounting that closes the estate.
Estate supervised or not
What we see in Livingston County
A lot of Livingston estates are land-heavy: a house on acreage, sometimes a second parcel, sometimes a cabin up north. Real estate is the asset most likely to force probate and the hardest to divide among children who want different things. A trust that actually holds the deeds, paired with a clear written instruction about who may buy out whom, prevents most of these fights.
How we help Livingston County families
Attorney Badri Yono Jr. of Foster Swift Collins & Smith, P.C. works with Michigan families on estates already in probate and on plans that keep the next one out of court. A flat fee is quoted in writing before any work begins.
Court addresses, contact details and fees are drawn from the Livingston County Probate Court's published materials and can change without notice; confirm with the court before you rely on them. This page is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Talk with Attorney Badri Yono Jr.
Tell us about your family and we'll connect you directly with Attorney Badri Yono Jr. of Foster Swift; with a flat fee quoted in writing before any work begins.