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Gladwin County, MI Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Gladwin County detail |
|---|---|
| Court | Gladwin County Probate Court, also called the 17th Probate Court, part of the Gladwin/Clare Probate District 17 |
| Courthouse address | Gladwin County Courthouse, 401 West Cedar Avenue, Gladwin, MI 48624 |
| Mailing address | Same as courthouse address |
| Phone | (989) 426-4821 for the probate court |
| Fax | No probate fax number is published by the court |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. No probate filing cutoff is published. Call before traveling. |
| Filing fee | Opening a decedent estate costs $175.00 in 2026, made up of $150.00 under MCL 600.880 and $25.00 under MCL 600.1986. The estate also owes an inventory fee under MCL 600.871. |
| Local forms | No Gladwin-specific decedent-estate packet is published. Use the statewide SCAO PC forms. |
| E-filing | Not on MiFILE for probate. File estate papers with the probate register at the Gladwin County Courthouse. |
| Case lookup | The court links to MiCOURT Case Search for case lookup. Not every estate file may be visible online. |
| Remote appearance | No Gladwin probate Zoom page is published. Uncontested decedent-estate petitions and motions are presumed eligible for videoconferencing under MCR 5.140, subject to the court's direction under MCR 2.407. |
| Website | Gladwin County 17th Probate Court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Gladwin County, make a working list of the decedent's accounts, real estate, vehicles, debts, funeral expenses and possible beneficiaries. The filing path depends on what exists, what must be transferred, and whether a personal representative needs authority to act.
Sunset helps families start estate settlement by searching across more than 2,300 institutions for accounts and assets, then organizing the information needed for the Michigan probate packet.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Gladwin County Probate Court serves estates venued in Gladwin County from its counter at the Gladwin County Courthouse in the county seat of Gladwin. The court sits in the 17th Probate District with Clare County under MCL 600.807(e), but the district keeps separate counters. A Gladwin County estate is filed in Gladwin, not at the Clare County counter in Harrison.
Venue for the first informal or formal testacy or appointment proceeding is the county where the decedent was domiciled at death, or, for a decedent not domiciled in Michigan, a county where the decedent's property was located at death (MCL 700.3201).
The jurisdiction process
- Identify the assets, debts and transfer needs before choosing a path. If the estate qualifies for transfer by affidavit or assignment of property, the statewide Michigan rules may avoid full administration. For a 2026 death, the small-estate amount is $53,000 under MCL 700.3982 and MCL 700.3983.
- Prepare the statewide SCAO forms for the path you are using. Informal probate commonly starts with PC 558, while formal probate uses PC 559. If the court appoints a personal representative, the authority document is PC 572, Letters of Authority for Personal Representative.
- File the papers with the probate register at the Gladwin County Courthouse, 401 West Cedar Avenue, Gladwin, MI 48624. This probate court is not on MiFILE, so do not use an e-filing portal for a Gladwin estate.
- Pay the 2026 opening cost for a decedent estate, $175.00, made up of $150.00 under MCL 600.880 and $25.00 under MCL 600.1986. If you use assignment of property, the 2026 petition fee is $25.00 under MCL 600.880(2). The estate also owes the inventory fee under MCL 600.871.
- Give the required notices. On the informal track, the applicant gives written information of the probate within 28 days after informal probate is granted (MCL 700.3306). After appointment, the personal representative publishes notice to creditors and sends notice to known creditors under MCL 700.3801.
- Ask the court how any hearing will be held. No Gladwin probate hearing days or standing video link are published. Uncontested decedent-estate petitions and motions are presumed eligible for videoconferencing under MCR 5.140, but the court controls the manner of appearance under MCR 2.407.
- After appointment, use the letters of authority to collect assets, deal with institutions, manage estate property and complete estate settlement tasks. File the inventory information within 91 days after letters of authority issue under MCR 5.307.
- Administer and close the estate. Pay valid claims, distribute property, account to interested persons, pay the inventory fee when due, and use the appropriate SCAO closing form or court order for the type of administration.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Gladwin County
Gladwin County does not publish a local decedent-estate form packet, cover sheet or checklist. Its probate page links to statewide SCAO forms, including fiduciary account forms, notice of hearing and proof of service. The same statewide SCAO PC form set is used for Gladwin estate filings.
| Need | Common statewide form |
|---|---|
| Assignment of property | PC 556, Petition and Order for Assignment |
| Transfer by affidavit | PC 598, Affidavit of Decedent's Successor for Delivery of Certain Assets Owned by Decedent. This is presented to the asset holder, not filed with the court. |
| Informal opening | PC 558, Application for Informal Probate and/or Appointment of Personal Representative |
| Formal opening | PC 559, Petition for Probate and/or Appointment of Personal Representative |
| Authority document | PC 572, Letters of Authority for Personal Representative |
| Inventory | PC 577, Inventory (Decedent Estate) |
| Accounts | PC 583, Account of Fiduciary, Short Form, or PC 584, Account of Fiduciary, Long Form |
| Closing an unsupervised estate | PC 591, Sworn Statement to Close Unsupervised Administration |
For informal, unsupervised administration, MCR 5.307(E) limits extra document requirements to those required by statute or court rule, although additional documents may be filed when the rules allow them.
Local nuance
Gladwin County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a Gladwin estate |
|---|---|
| 17th Probate District | Gladwin shares a probate judge with Clare County, but keeps its own filing counter. File a Gladwin County estate at the Gladwin County Courthouse. |
| Two phone numbers at the courthouse | Use (989) 426-4821 for the probate court first. The courthouse switchboard number appears separately, but the probate line is the better starting point for estate filing questions. |
| MiFILE search trap | Gladwin's 80th District Court appears on MiFILE, but that is not the probate court. Gladwin County probate filings are not on MiFILE. |
| MiCOURT link | The court's probate page links to MiCOURT Case Search. Use it as a lookup tool, but call the court if an estate does not appear or if you need filing instructions. |
| No local estate packet | The court links statewide SCAO forms as a convenience and does not publish a Gladwin-specific decedent-estate checklist. |
Recent updates
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Gladwin County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | Start by confirming how the home is titled and whether any estate asset still needs a personal representative. If probate is needed for a Gladwin County asset, file at the Gladwin County Courthouse. | Sunset helps identify accounts, organize title and debt information, and prepare the family for an estate settlement conversation with a Michigan probate attorney. |
| Out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | Check whether transfer by affidavit or assignment of property fits the assets. For a 2026 death, the small-estate amount is $53,000 under MCL 700.3982 and MCL 700.3983. If a court filing is needed, contact the Gladwin probate court before traveling because no appointment practice is published. | Sunset helps locate financial accounts, generate the relevant probate packet and coordinate next steps so the child does not make unnecessary trips to Gladwin. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of real property often requires a personal representative with letters of authority. File the opening papers in Gladwin if venue belongs in Gladwin County under MCL 700.3201. | Sunset helps assemble asset information, prepare forms, and connect the parent with a vetted Michigan probate attorney for the real estate and court steps. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Gladwin County Probate Court | The filing counter for Gladwin County estate papers. Staff can explain court procedures but cannot give legal advice. | 401 West Cedar Avenue, Gladwin, MI 48624. Phone (989) 426-4821. |
| MiCOURT case search | The case lookup tool linked from the Gladwin probate court page. | Online |
| Michigan trial court directory | Judiciary directory for confirming the Gladwin/Clare Probate District 17 listing. | Online |
| Estates, trusts and miscellaneous probate forms | Statewide SCAO PC forms used for Michigan probate filings. | Online |
| Inventory fee calculator | Michigan Judiciary tool for estimating the inventory fee owed under MCL 600.871. | Online |
| Michigan Legal Help | Plain-language probate information and guided tools for Michigan families. | Online |
| Legal Services of Eastern Michigan, Saginaw office | Free civil legal help for eligible low-income residents in its service area, which includes Gladwin County. Ask at intake whether your estate question fits their services. | 301 E. Genesee Ave., 5th Floor of the Commerce Building, Saginaw, MI 48607. Toll free (800) 322-4512. |
When to hire an attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 institutions to help families locate accounts, insurance, investments and other assets that may belong in the estate settlement plan.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you provide into organized Michigan probate paperwork, using the statewide SCAO form set and the local Gladwin filing details.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Gladwin estate involves real property, disputes, creditors or a formal hearing, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Michigan probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate, understand next steps and decide whether they need attorney help without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Gladwin County?
File at the Gladwin County Probate Court, also called the 17th Probate Court, at the Gladwin County Courthouse, 401 West Cedar Avenue, Gladwin, MI 48624. The court is part of the 17th Probate District with Clare County, but a Gladwin County estate is filed in Gladwin.
Does the 17th Probate District mean I file in Clare County?
No. The district means Gladwin and Clare share a probate judge. It does not move Gladwin filings to Harrison. Venue is still based on the decedent's county of domicile or property location under MCL 700.3201.
Can I e-file a Gladwin County probate case?
No. Gladwin County Probate Court is not on MiFILE for probate. Estate papers are filed with the probate register at the Gladwin County Courthouse. If you see Gladwin listed for MiFILE, that listing is for the 80th District Court, not probate.
What is the filing fee to open a Gladwin County estate?
The 2026 opening cost for a decedent estate is $175.00, made up of $150.00 under MCL 600.880 and $25.00 under MCL 600.1986. The estate also owes an inventory fee under MCL 600.871. Assignment of property has a separate 2026 petition fee of $25.00 under MCL 600.880(2), and the inventory fee still applies.
Does Gladwin County have its own probate forms?
No Gladwin-specific decedent-estate packet is published. Use the statewide SCAO PC forms. The court's page links several statewide forms directly, including fiduciary account forms, notice of hearing and proof of service.
Can I look up a Gladwin probate case online?
The Gladwin probate court page links to MiCOURT Case Search. Use that tool first, and call the court if the estate does not appear or if you need help understanding how to submit a filing.
Are Gladwin probate hearings remote?
No local probate Zoom instructions are published. Michigan court rules presume videoconferencing for uncontested decedent-estate petitions and motions under MCR 5.140, but the court decides the manner of appearance under MCR 2.407 and must tell participants how to join.
Do I have to travel to Gladwin to open an estate?
Not always, but the court does not publish a mail, drop-box or appointment policy for probate filings. Call (989) 426-4821 before traveling and ask how the probate register wants your papers submitted.
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.