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Allegan County, MI Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Allegan County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Allegan County Probate Court |
| Courthouse address | Allegan County Building, 113 Chestnut Street, Allegan, MI 49010 |
| Mailing address | Use the courthouse address. The court publishes no separate post office box. |
| Phone | (269) 673-0250 |
| Fax | (269) 686-5157. Fax is a filing channel in this court. |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. No lunch closure is published. |
| Filing fee | For filings made in August 2026, opening a decedent estate costs $175.00 under MCL 600.880 and MCL 600.1986, plus the inventory fee under MCL 600.871. A petition and order for assignment costs $25.00 under MCL 600.880 for filings made in August 2026, plus any inventory fee that applies. |
| Local forms | Estate filings use statewide SCAO probate forms. Allegan publishes its own instruction sheets and numbered informal and formal estate packets. Fax filings also need the court's payment form. |
| MiFILE status | Allegan County Probate Court is not on MiFILE for estate filings. The court publishes mail, fax, email, and courthouse filing options. |
| Case search | The court links an Allegan County Probate Court search through MiCOURT at https://micourt.courts.michigan.gov/case-search/court/P03. The court asks filers to allow up to 14 days after filing before contacting the court about an item that has not appeared. |
| Remote appearance | No Allegan probate page publishes a local video platform or standing link. Uncontested decedent-estate petitions and motions are presumed to use videoconferencing under MCR 5.140, but the court decides how a hearing will be held and must give access instructions. |
| Website | https://www.allegancounty.org/courts-law-enforcement/probate-court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a filing path in Allegan County, build a clear list of the decedent's assets, debts, accounts, real estate, vehicles, and named beneficiaries. The filing that works for a simple bank account may not work if an Allegan County home, a lakeshore property interest, or creditor issue has to be handled through the estate.
Sunset helps families start estate settlement by finding accounts and assets across more than 2,300 financial institutions, then organizing that information around the forms and filing channel the Allegan County Probate Court actually publishes.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Allegan County Probate Court serves Allegan County from one courthouse counter at the Allegan County Building, 113 Chestnut Street, in the city of Allegan. It is a standalone county probate court, not one of Michigan's two-county probate districts.
File in Allegan County when the decedent was domiciled in Allegan County at death, or, for a decedent not domiciled in Michigan, when property to be administered was located in Allegan County (MCL 700.3201). Allegan County includes communities such as Allegan, Douglas, Fennville, Otsego, Plainwell, Saugatuck, Wayland, Hopkins, and Martin. Holland and South Haven extend across county lines, so domicile and property location matter more than a city name alone.
The jurisdiction process
- List what the decedent owned and owed before you file. Include bank accounts, vehicles, real estate, debts, funeral and burial expenses, and any will or codicil.
- Use the Allegan County Probate Court's Deceased Estates page to choose the local instruction packet for an informal or formal opening. The court posts the statewide SCAO forms in filing order for each track.
- Prepare the opening papers. Informal filings commonly start with PC 558, while formal filings commonly start with PC 559. Allegan's packets also list the related SCAO forms the court expects with each opening.
- Choose the filing channel before you send papers. You may file by mail to 113 Chestnut Street, by fax to (269) 686-5157, by email to [email protected], or at the courthouse during published hours. Fax and email filings over 20 pages, including exhibits, are not accepted.
- Pay the correct court charges. For filings made in August 2026, an estate opening costs $175.00 under MCL 600.880 and MCL 600.1986, plus the inventory fee under MCL 600.871. Checks and money orders are payable to Allegan County Probate Court. Card payments carry a service fee, and the court directs fax and email filers to use payment code 7299.
- If you fax a filing, include the case name, case number if one exists, document title, sender name, sender telephone number, and the court's payment form. The court treats faxed documents as originals and deems filings received after hours, on weekends, or on court holidays filed on the next business day.
- Watch the local hearing deadline. The court states that documents must be filed at least seven days before a hearing. No Allegan hearing days or filing-to-hearing window is published.
- Ask the court how any hearing will be held. Uncontested decedent-estate petitions and motions are presumed to use videoconferencing under MCR 5.140, but Allegan does not publish a platform or standing link for estate hearings.
- After appointment, obtain letters of authority for the personal representative. Allegan's instructions ask filers to request certified letters at the opening stage, and statewide certification is governed by MCL 600.2546.
- Administer and close the estate. Publish and send creditor notices as required, file the inventory on time, pay the inventory fee, distribute property, and use the proper SCAO closing form or court order when estate settlement is complete.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Allegan County
Allegan County estate filings use Michigan's statewide SCAO probate forms. The court's own Useful Links page tells filers that probate filings must be on an SCAO-approved form, or on a document substantially in that form with the required replication language under MCR 5.113(A)(1)(c).
The local advantage in Allegan is organization. The court publishes two deceased-estate instruction sheets, one for informal proceedings and one for formal proceedings, and its Deceased Estates page lists the related statewide forms in filing order. The informal packet includes items such as PC 558, MC 97, PC 565, PC 566 when needed, PC 557, PC 568, PC 571, PC 572, PC 573, and PC 577. The formal packet begins with PC 559 and includes the hearing, proof of service, appointment, letters, notice, inventory, and consent forms listed by the court.
If you file by fax, Allegan also requires its payment form with the transmission. Because the form's contents are not described on the court page, ask the probate court for the current payment form before faxing.
| Form resource | Use in Allegan County |
|---|---|
| Allegan County Deceased Estates page | Local instruction sheets and numbered informal and formal opening packets. |
| SCAO Estates, Trusts, and Miscellaneous Probate Forms index | Statewide PC forms used for Michigan estate filings. |
| MC 97 and MC 97a | Protected personal identifying information forms. Do not put Social Security numbers or financial account numbers on public-facing probate forms. |
| Fax payment form | Required by Allegan County Probate Court for fax filings. |
Fees
Michigan's probate opening fees are statewide, but Allegan publishes extra local charges for fax filings. Mail, email, and courthouse filings do not use the court's facsimile charge.
| Charge | Amount published for August 2026 | When it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Estate opening | $175.00 under MCL 600.880 and MCL 600.1986, plus the inventory fee under MCL 600.871 | Paid when opening a decedent estate. |
| Petition and order for assignment | $25.00 under MCL 600.880, plus any inventory fee that applies under MCL 600.871 | Paid when filing PC 556 for assignment of property. |
| Fax filing, first page | $3.00, as published by the court for August 2026 | Only if you file by fax. |
| Fax filing, each additional page | $1.00, as published by the court for August 2026 | Only if you file by fax, and the total fax filing may not exceed 20 pages including exhibits. |
| Card service fee | A service fee based on the amount charged, as published by the court for August 2026 | Added to credit and debit transactions. |
| Certified letters of authority | Statewide certification is $10.00 plus $1.00 per page under MCL 600.2546, for August 2026 filings. Allegan's own instructions ask a filer to include $12.00 when requesting certified letters at opening. | Needed when banks, transfer agents, or other institutions ask for proof of the personal representative's authority. |
The Allegan fee page states that fees are non-refundable and that checks and money orders should be payable to Allegan County Probate Court. The court also links the Michigan Judiciary inventory fee calculator for the inventory fee required under MCL 600.871.
Local nuance
Allegan County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for an estate filing |
|---|---|
| Mail, fax, email, or courthouse filing | Allegan publishes three ways to file without standing at the counter, plus the courthouse address for in-person filing. |
| 20-page cap | No fax or email filing over 20 pages, including exhibits, is accepted. Larger filings should go by mail or to the courthouse. |
| Fax charges | Fax filings carry the local facsimile charges listed in the fee section and require the court's payment form. |
| Seven-day pre-hearing filing rule | The court states that documents must be filed seven days before a hearing. |
| Received stamp matters | The court treats documents as accepted when stamped received. After-hours, weekend, and court-holiday submissions are treated as filed on the next business day. |
| Payment code 7299 | The court directs fax and email filers to pay through ALLPAID using code 7299 when asked. |
| MiCOURT case search | The court links its own MiCOURT search and asks filers to allow up to 14 days for a filing to appear. |
| MiFILE trap | The 57th District Court in the same building is on MiFILE, but Allegan County Probate Court is not on MiFILE for estate filings. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Allegan County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by confirming how the Allegan County home is titled and whether any assets actually need probate. If estate authority is needed, use the court's Deceased Estates packet and file at 113 Chestnut Street, by mail, by fax, or by email within the court's page limits. | Sunset helps identify accounts, title clues, debts, and beneficiary designations before the spouse spends money on an unnecessary filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | Allegan is helpful for an out-of-state filer because the court accepts mail, fax, and email filings. Watch the 20-page limit, pay through the court's published payment code when using fax or email, and allow up to 14 days for the court's online search to show a new filing. | Sunset organizes the asset list, flags which Michigan small-estate route may fit, and prepares a packet the child can review before sending it to the court. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | If an Allegan County home has to be sold through the estate, the parent will usually need personal representative authority from the Probate Court. A formal proceeding may be needed if heirs disagree, title is unclear, or a judge must decide an issue. | Sunset helps assemble asset information, prepare the opening materials, and connect the family with a Michigan probate attorney when real estate must be sold. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Allegan County Probate Court | The court where an Allegan estate is opened. Staff can explain filing mechanics, but they cannot give legal advice. | 113 Chestnut Street, Allegan, MI 49010. (269) 673-0250. [email protected]. https://www.allegancounty.org/courts-law-enforcement/probate-court |
| Deceased estate instructions and filing packet | Local instruction sheets for informal and formal proceedings, with statewide forms listed in filing order. | https://www.allegancounty.org/courts-law-enforcement/probate-court/deceased-estates |
| Allegan County Probate Court case search | Online search for this court's cases through MiCOURT. Allow up to 14 days for a new filing to appear. | https://micourt.courts.michigan.gov/case-search/court/P03 |
| Allegan County Legal Assistance Center | Free walk-in help desk on the first floor of the same courthouse for people representing themselves in civil matters. Decedent estates are not listed in its published matter list, so ask whether it can help with your question. | 113 Chestnut Street, Allegan, MI 49010. (269) 686-5221. [email protected]. |
| SCAO Estates, Trusts, and Miscellaneous Probate Forms | Statewide probate form index used for Michigan estate filings. | https://www.courts.michigan.gov/SCAO-forms/Estates-Trusts/ |
| Michigan Judiciary inventory fee calculator | Calculator for the inventory fee owed under MCL 600.871. | https://www.courts.michigan.gov/courts/trial-courts/inventory-calculator/ |
| Michigan Legal Help | Plain-language Michigan probate and small-estate information. | https://michiganlegalhelp.org/ |
| Legal Aid of Western Michigan, Holland office | Free civil legal help for eligible low-income residents of Allegan and Ottawa counties. Ask at intake whether an estate question fits its services. | 115 Clover Street, Suite 101, Holland, MI 49423. (616) 394-1380. Intake: (888) 783-8190. https://lawestmi.org/locations/holland/ |
| Michigan Trial Court Directory | State court directory listing for Allegan County Probate Court. | https://www.courts.michigan.gov/trial-court-directory/ |
When to hire an attorney
A lawyer is especially useful in Allegan County when real property must be sold or retitled through the estate, when a Saugatuck, Douglas, Fennville, or lakeshore property interest is involved, when heirs disagree, when creditors are pressing claims, when the personal representative lives out of state, or when the case needs a formal hearing before the probate judge. The court's own instructions say staff cannot give legal advice, so Sunset connects families to a vetted Michigan probate attorney when legal judgment is needed.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help families identify bank, investment, retirement, insurance, and other accounts before choosing an Allegan County filing path.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the estate information into organized Michigan probate materials and helps you match them to the Allegan County Probate Court's informal or formal instruction packet.
Find a local probate attorney. When an Allegan County estate has real estate, creditor pressure, a family dispute, or a formal court issue, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Michigan probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset's estate settlement tools are free for families, and attorney help is optional when the situation calls for legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate for someone who lived in Allegan County?
File with the Allegan County Probate Court at the Allegan County Building, 113 Chestnut Street, Allegan, MI 49010. Venue is Allegan County when the decedent was domiciled there at death, or when a non-Michigan decedent left property in Allegan County to be administered (MCL 700.3201).
Can I file an Allegan County estate by email or fax?
Yes. The court publishes filing by mail, fax, and email. Email filings go to [email protected], and fax filings go to (269) 686-5157. No fax or email filing over 20 pages, including exhibits, is accepted.
Is Allegan County Probate Court on MiFILE?
No. Estate filings in Allegan County Probate Court are not submitted through MiFILE. Use the court's mail, fax, email, or courthouse filing options instead. Do not confuse this with the 57th District Court in the same building.
How much does it cost to open an estate in Allegan County?
For filings made in August 2026, opening a decedent estate costs $175.00 under MCL 600.880 and MCL 600.1986, plus the inventory fee under MCL 600.871. A petition and order for assignment costs $25.00 under MCL 600.880 for filings made in August 2026, plus any inventory fee that applies. Allegan also publishes local fax charges if you file by fax.
Does Allegan County have its own probate forms?
Allegan County uses Michigan's statewide SCAO probate forms. The court publishes its own instruction sheets and numbered form packets for informal and formal deceased-estate openings, and fax filings need the court's payment form.
Can I look up an Allegan County probate case online?
Yes. The court links its own MiCOURT search at https://micourt.courts.michigan.gov/case-search/court/P03. The court asks filers to allow up to 14 days after filing before contacting the court about a filing that has not appeared.
Can I attend an Allegan County probate hearing remotely?
No Allegan probate page publishes a local video platform or standing link. Michigan court rules presume videoconferencing for uncontested decedent-estate petitions and motions under MCR 5.140, but the court decides how your hearing will be held and must tell you how to access it.
Do I have to travel to Allegan to start probate?
Not always. The court accepts filings by mail, fax, and email, which can help an out-of-county personal representative start estate settlement without an immediate trip. Call (269) 673-0250 if you need to know whether an in-person visit is needed for your filing.
What if my filing is more than 20 pages?
Do not send it by fax or email. Allegan County Probate Court says no fax or email filing over 20 pages, including exhibits, will be accepted. Use mail or the courthouse filing counter for longer filings.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.