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Cheboygan County, MI Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Cheboygan County probate information |
|---|---|
| Court | Cheboygan County Probate Court |
| Courthouse address | Cheboygan County Building, 870 South Main Street, Room 212, Cheboygan, MI 49721 |
| Mailing address | No separate probate mailing address is published. Use the courthouse address unless the probate register tells you otherwise. |
| Phone | (231) 627-8823 |
| Fax | (231) 627-8868 |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. No lunch closure or filing cutoff is published. |
| Filing fee | Opening a decedent estate costs $175.00 for 2026, made up of $150.00 under MCL 600.880 and $25.00 under MCL 600.1986, plus the inventory fee under MCL 600.871. A petition for assignment of property costs $25.00 for 2026 under MCL 600.880, plus any inventory fee. |
| Local forms | No Cheboygan-specific probate form, cover sheet or checklist is published. Use the statewide SCAO probate forms. |
| E-filing | Cheboygan County Probate Court is not on MiFILE. File with the probate register at the Cheboygan County Building, and call before travelling if you need to ask about mail or counter submission. |
| Case search | The court publishes a MiCOURT case lookup for court code P16. Some case types and protected personal identifying information are not public. |
| Remote appearance | No Cheboygan-specific remote-hearing page is published. Uncontested decedent-estate hearings are presumed to allow videoconferencing under MCR 5.140, subject to the court's directions under MCR 2.407. |
| Website | https://www.cheboygancounty.net/courts-law-enforcement/probate-family-court/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a Michigan probate path, make a practical list of the decedent's assets, debts, real estate, vehicles, accounts and beneficiaries. In Cheboygan County, that list determines whether you need a full estate administration at the probate register's counter in Room 212 or a narrower Michigan procedure that may avoid a full opening.
Sunset's estate settlement tools help families organize that first asset picture, including asset discovery across more than 2,300 institutions. Once you know what exists, you can match the facts to the right SCAO forms and decide whether to file in Cheboygan, ask about remote participation, or involve a Michigan probate attorney.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Cheboygan County estates are opened at the Cheboygan County Probate Court in the Cheboygan County Building, 870 South Main Street, Room 212, Cheboygan, MI 49721. Cheboygan is a standalone county probate court, not part of a two-county probate district.
The court serves estates venued in Cheboygan County. Michigan venue is the county where the decedent was domiciled at death, or, if the decedent was not domiciled in Michigan, a county where the decedent's property was located at death (MCL 700.3201).
Cheboygan County sits at the top of Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula. The county describes itself as Michigan's Shoreline County, with shoreline along the Straits of Mackinac and Lake Huron and inland lakes including Burt Lake, Mullet Lake, Black Lake and Douglas Lake.
The jurisdiction process
- List the assets and debts first. Include Cheboygan County real estate, lakefront or seasonal property, bank and investment accounts, vehicles, personal property, funeral and burial expenses, and known creditors.
- Choose the Michigan probate path that fits the assets. If a full estate is needed, use the statewide SCAO form for informal probate or formal probate. If the estate may fit assignment of property or transfer by affidavit, check the 2026 $53,000 limit under MCL 700.3982 and MCL 700.3983 and use the correct SCAO form for that path.
- Prepare the statewide SCAO forms. Cheboygan County publishes no local probate cover sheet or checklist, and in informal, unsupervised estates Michigan court rules limit what extra documents a court may require (MCR 5.307).
- File with the probate register at Cheboygan County Probate Court, Cheboygan County Building, 870 South Main Street, Room 212, Cheboygan, MI 49721. The court is not on MiFILE, so call (231) 627-8823 before travelling if you need to ask how the office wants a paper filing submitted.
- Pay the statutory court charges. Opening a decedent estate costs $175.00 for 2026, including the $150.00 charge under MCL 600.880 and the $25.00 electronic filing system fee under MCL 600.1986, and the estate also owes the inventory fee under MCL 600.871. An assignment of property petition costs $25.00 for 2026 under MCL 600.880, plus any inventory fee.
- Give the required notices. On the informal track, the probate register may appoint the personal representative after the required determinations, and the applicant must give information of the probate within 28 days after informal probate is granted (MCL 700.3306, 700.3307).
- Watch for hearing instructions. No Cheboygan hearing-day schedule is published. If a hearing is set, uncontested decedent-estate matters are presumed to allow videoconferencing under MCR 5.140, but the court controls the instructions under MCR 2.407.
- Receive letters of authority if a personal representative is appointed. The authority document is PC 572, Letters of Authority for Personal Representative, and certified copies cost $10.00 plus $1.00 per page for 2026 under MCL 600.2546.
- Administer the estate. The personal representative gathers assets, deals with creditor notice and claims, files inventory information within 91 days after letters of authority, and pays the inventory fee under MCL 600.871 and MCR 5.307.
- Close the estate. Depending on the path, the personal representative may use a sworn closing statement, a summary-proceeding closing statement, or a court order for complete estate settlement after the required administration steps are complete.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Cheboygan County
Cheboygan County does not publish a local probate form, cover sheet or checklist. Its probate page points filers to the statewide SCAO form search, so use the Michigan SCAO estates and trusts form index for decedent-estate filings.
| Need | Michigan form path | Cheboygan County note |
|---|---|---|
| Informal probate or appointment | PC 558, Application for Informal Probate and/or Appointment of Personal Representative | Filed with the probate register when the informal track fits. |
| Formal probate or appointment | PC 559, Petition for Probate and/or Appointment of Personal Representative | Used when a judge must decide a formal issue. |
| Assignment of property | PC 556, Petition and Order for Assignment | Filed with the Cheboygan County Probate Court when the Michigan assignment procedure fits. For a 2026 death, the indexed amount is $53,000 under MCL 700.3982. |
| Transfer by affidavit | PC 598, Affidavit of Decedent's Successor for Delivery of Certain Assets Owned by Decedent | Not filed with the court. For a 2026 death, the indexed amount is $53,000 under MCL 700.3983, and the estate must not include real property. |
| Inventory | PC 577, Inventory (Decedent Estate) | Inventory information is due within 91 days after letters of authority under MCR 5.307. |
| Authority document | PC 572, Letters of Authority for Personal Representative | Use certified copies when banks, title companies or other institutions need proof of authority. |
Local nuance
Cheboygan County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means |
|---|---|
| One probate counter | Cheboygan County Probate Court operates from Room 212 of the Cheboygan County Building at 870 South Main Street in Cheboygan. |
| No MiFILE listing | This probate court is not on Michigan's MiFILE system. Plan on dealing with the probate register's office directly. |
| Court-published case lookup | The county's probate page links to MiCOURT for court code P16. Treat it as a case lookup, not a complete document library. |
| No local probate packet | Cheboygan points filers to statewide SCAO forms and publishes no separate probate cover sheet or checklist. |
| Remote practice not posted | The court does not publish a local videoconference link or platform for estate hearings. Ask the office how your hearing will be held. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Scenario | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by checking how the Cheboygan County home is titled and whether any asset actually needs probate. If a personal representative is needed, file at the Cheboygan County Probate Court in Room 212. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts and title issues so the spouse can avoid opening an estate when assets already pass outside probate, or prepare the right Cheboygan filing when probate is needed. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | Call the Cheboygan probate office before travelling because this court is not on MiFILE and no appointment rule is published. If the Michigan small-estate facts fit, use the statewide SCAO form for assignment of property or transfer by affidavit. | Sunset helps the child organize asset values, choose the likely form path, and gather the information needed for a clean estate settlement plan from outside Michigan. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | If a Cheboygan County home must be sold through the estate, the family will usually need authority from the Probate Court. File the opening papers with the probate register and request letters of authority for the personal representative. | Sunset helps collect account information, prepare the probate packet, and connect the parent with a vetted Michigan probate attorney when a sale, title issue or creditor problem makes counsel useful. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Cheboygan County Probate Court | The local court counter for opening a Cheboygan County estate. Staff can explain court procedures, but cannot give legal advice. | 870 South Main Street, Room 212, Cheboygan, MI 49721. Phone (231) 627-8823. Fax (231) 627-8868. Email [email protected]. Website: https://www.cheboygancounty.net/courts-law-enforcement/probate-family-court/ |
| MiCOURT case search for Cheboygan County Probate Court | Case lookup for court code P16. Some case types and protected personal identifying information are excluded from public access. | https://micourt.courts.michigan.gov/case-search/court/P16 |
| Michigan trial court directory | State judiciary directory for cross-checking the Cheboygan County Probate Court address and phone number. | https://www.courts.michigan.gov/trial-court-directory/ |
| SCAO estates, trusts and miscellaneous probate forms | Statewide Michigan probate forms used in Cheboygan County. | https://www.courts.michigan.gov/SCAO-forms/Estates-Trusts/ |
| Inventory fee calculator | Michigan Judiciary calculator for the inventory fee owed under MCL 600.871. | https://www.courts.michigan.gov/courts/trial-courts/inventory-calculator/ |
| Michigan Legal Help | Statewide self-help nonprofit with Michigan probate and small-estate articles and guided tools. | https://michiganlegalhelp.org/ |
| Legal Services of Northern Michigan, Gaylord office | Free civil legal help for eligible residents in its service area, including Cheboygan County. Ask intake whether an estate question fits their services. | 111 W Mitchell St., Ste. C, Gaylord, MI 49735. Phone (989) 705-1067. Website: https://www.lsnm.org/ |
When to hire an attorney
A Michigan probate attorney is especially useful when Cheboygan County real property must be sold or title must be cleared, the estate is too large for a small-estate path, heirs disagree, a will contest is possible, creditors are active, or the proposed personal representative lives far from Cheboygan. Sunset connects families with a vetted Michigan probate attorney when legal help is the right next step.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families build the asset picture before they file, including bank, investment, retirement, insurance and debt information that can determine whether Cheboygan County probate is needed.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the estate information into an organized packet using Michigan's statewide SCAO probate forms, so the filing is easier to review before it goes to the Cheboygan County Probate Court.
Find a local probate attorney. When a sale, creditor issue, dispute or out-of-state family situation makes legal help useful, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Michigan probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset's estate settlement platform is free for families, so you can organize the work, understand the next step, and decide whether to file yourself or bring in counsel.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Cheboygan County?
File with the probate register at Cheboygan County Probate Court, Cheboygan County Building, 870 South Main Street, Room 212, Cheboygan, MI 49721. The phone number is (231) 627-8823.
Can I e-file a Cheboygan County probate case?
No. Cheboygan County Probate Court is not on Michigan's MiFILE system. The county's probate page does not publish a separate e-filing portal, so call the probate office before travelling if you need to ask how to submit a paper filing.
Does Cheboygan County have local probate forms?
No Cheboygan-specific probate form, cover sheet or checklist is published. Use the statewide SCAO probate forms for Michigan estates.
How much does it cost to open a Cheboygan County estate?
For 2026, opening a decedent estate costs $175.00, which includes $150.00 under MCL 600.880 and $25.00 under MCL 600.1986. The estate also owes an inventory fee under MCL 600.871, and the Michigan Judiciary's inventory fee calculator can estimate it.
Is there a Cheboygan County probate case search?
Yes. The county's probate page links to MiCOURT for court code P16. Use it as a case lookup, and remember that some case types and protected personal identifying information are not public.
Are Cheboygan County probate hearings remote?
No Cheboygan-specific videoconference link or platform is published. Under MCR 5.140, videoconferencing is presumed for uncontested decedent-estate petitions and motions, but the court controls the details under MCR 2.407 and will give instructions for the case.
Do I have to travel to Cheboygan to handle probate?
Maybe. Because this probate court is not on MiFILE and no local mail, drop-box or appointment instructions are published for estate filings, call (231) 627-8823 before travelling. If a hearing is set, ask how the court will handle appearance instructions.
Which court handles a Cheboygan County decedent's estate?
Michigan venue usually belongs in the county where the decedent was domiciled at death. If the decedent was not domiciled in Michigan, venue can be in a Michigan county where the decedent had property at death (MCL 700.3201).
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.