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Grand Traverse County, MI Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Grand Traverse County detail |
|---|---|
| Court | Grand Traverse County Probate Court |
| Courthouse address | Robert P. Griffin Hall of Justice, 280 Washington Street, Suite 223, Traverse City, MI 49684 |
| Mailing address | Probate Court, 280 Washington Street, Suite 223, Traverse City, MI 49684. The court publishes no separate post office box. |
| Phone | (231) 922-6862 |
| Fax | (231) 922-4458, for documents that do not require a fee |
| [email protected], for documents that do not require a fee | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The court states that it does not close for lunch. |
| Filing fee | As of August 2026, opening a decedent estate costs $175.00, made up of the $150.00 commencement fee under MCL 600.880 and the $25.00 electronic filing system fee under MCL 600.1986. The estate also owes an inventory fee under MCL 600.871. |
| Payment | Cash, check or money order payable to Grand Traverse County Probate Court. The court does not accept credit or debit cards for probate filings. |
| Local forms | No local probate forms or local cover sheet are published. The court uses the statewide SCAO PC forms and publishes local instruction pages and a small-estate checklist. |
| E-filing | Grand Traverse County Probate Court is not on MiFILE. Estate openings are paper filings by mail with payment or at the counter with payment. |
| Case lookup | No online probate case lookup is published for Grand Traverse County estates. Call the probate court for file questions. |
| Remote appearance | The court publishes Zoom guidelines. If a hearing is set by Zoom, participants need video capability, a camera, a microphone and a stable internet connection. |
| Website | Grand Traverse County Probate Court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a Michigan probate path, identify what the decedent owned, how each asset is titled, what debts remain, whether there is real property, and whether a bank or title company needs letters of authority. That asset picture determines whether Grand Traverse County estate settlement can stay simple or needs a full administration through the Probate Court.
Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery helps families find accounts, policies and balances before they prepare the packet. That matters in Grand Traverse County because the court's filing channel, payment method, inventory fee and publication steps all depend on choosing the right estate settlement route before you file.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Grand Traverse County decedent estates are filed with the Grand Traverse County Probate Court at Suite 223 of the Robert P. Griffin Hall of Justice in Traverse City. The Probate Court is separate from the 13th Circuit Court and the 86th District Court, even though more than one court is nearby or in the same building.
Venue belongs in the county where the decedent was domiciled at death, or, for a decedent who was not domiciled in Michigan, a county where the decedent's property was located at death (MCL 700.3201). Traverse City sits partly in Leelanau County, so a Traverse City address alone does not decide venue. Check the decedent's county of domicile before filing.
Grand Traverse County communities include the city of Traverse City, the villages of Fife Lake and Kingsley, and the townships of Acme, Blair, East Bay, Fife Lake, Garfield, Grant, Green Lake, Long Lake, Mayfield, Paradise, Peninsula, Union and Whitewater.
The jurisdiction process
- List the assets, debts, title documents, beneficiaries and known creditors before filing. Include real property, vehicles, bank accounts, retirement accounts, life insurance, digital accounts and bills so you can choose the correct Michigan path.
- Choose the filing track. For an informal estate, use the SCAO informal probate application. For a formal estate, use the SCAO petition for probate. For an assignment of property, use the SCAO small-estate petition for that path and follow the court's local checklist.
- Prepare the Grand Traverse opening set. The court's decedent-estate instructions ask for the SCAO forms for the track you choose, protected personal identifying information forms where needed, two death certificates signed by the county clerk with one redacted, the original will and codicil if there is one, and the related heirship and acceptance papers.
- File with the probate register in Suite 223. Papers that require a fee must be mailed with payment or brought to the counter with payment. Opening an estate carries a fee, so the opening packet is not emailed or faxed. Papers with no fee may be emailed to [email protected] or faxed to (231) 922-4458.
- Pay the required court costs. As of August 2026, a decedent estate opening costs $175.00, which includes the $150.00 fee under MCL 600.880 and the $25.00 electronic filing system fee under MCL 600.1986. The estate also owes the inventory fee under MCL 600.871. Grand Traverse accepts cash, check or money order, but not credit or debit cards.
- Give notices after appointment. The personal representative gives the required notices to interested persons, known creditors and, where applicable, the Grand Traverse County Friend of the Court. The court names the Traverse City Record Eagle and the Northern Express as publication options for creditor notice, with the newspaper collecting its own publication charge.
- Attend any hearing as instructed. Informal matters may be handled by the probate register when the law allows. Formal matters go to the probate judge. Uncontested decedent-estate hearings are presumed to use videoconferencing technology under MCR 5.140, but the court decides how a particular hearing will proceed and may require in-person attendance under MCR 2.407.
- Receive letters of authority if a personal representative is appointed. Certified copies cost $10.00 plus $1.00 per page as of August 2026 under MCL 600.2546, and banks, title companies or closing agents may ask for a certified copy.
- File the inventory and pay the inventory fee. The court's local instruction says Grand Traverse real property is valued at state equalized value times two for the year of death, or by appraisal or market analysis filed with the inventory. Use the Michigan Judiciary inventory fee calculator before closing.
- Administer and close the estate. Collect assets, resolve claims, keep accounting information, distribute property, and use the proper SCAO closing paper for an unsupervised estate or a court-ordered closing if the case requires it.
Executor duties
Grand Traverse County's local instructions add practical steps to the statewide duties of a personal representative. When the inventory includes real property, the court instructs the personal representative to value it using state equalized value times two for the year of death, or by appraisal or market analysis, and to file the appraisal or market analysis with the inventory if that method is used.
The court also names the Traverse City Record Eagle and the Northern Express as the newspapers for publication in a Grand Traverse estate. The publication fee is handled by the newspaper, not by the court. The court's instructions also tell the personal representative to give notice to the Grand Traverse County Friend of the Court within 28 days of appointment when the notice applies.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Grand Traverse County
Grand Traverse County uses Michigan's statewide SCAO PC forms for decedent estates. The court publishes no local probate form and no local cover sheet. Its own pages direct filers to the SCAO estates form index and then add local instructions about what to include with the packet.
| Need | Grand Traverse County practice |
|---|---|
| Informal opening | The court's instruction page lists the informal probate application, protected personal identifying information papers, the original will and codicil if any, two death certificates signed by the county clerk, heirship testimony, acceptance of appointment, and related papers where needed. |
| Formal opening | The court's instruction page uses the formal probate petition instead of the informal application. It states that if the original will is not available, the filer must use the formal petition route. |
| Death certificate | For an estate opening, bring two copies signed by the county clerk, one unredacted and one with the date of birth and social security number redacted (MCR 5.302). The court states that certified copies are not required. |
| Assignment of property | The court publishes a local checklist for the SCAO petition, including the petition, heirship testimony, death certificate copy signed by the county clerk, protected information form, funeral bill and receipt, and the filing fee and inventory fee. |
| Forms index | SCAO estates, trusts and miscellaneous probate forms |
Local nuance
Grand Traverse County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means |
|---|---|
| Filing channel depends on whether a fee is due | Papers with a fee must be mailed with payment or brought to the counter with payment. Papers with no fee may be emailed or faxed. |
| No credit or debit cards | Bring cash, a check or a money order payable to Grand Traverse County Probate Court. Do not mail cash. |
| No MiFILE probate filing | The 13th Circuit Court has a separate filing program for some non-probate matters. Grand Traverse County Probate Court estate filings are paper filings. |
| No lunch closure | The probate counter is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the court states that it does not close for lunch. |
| Publication papers are named | The court names the Traverse City Record Eagle and the Northern Express for publication in a Grand Traverse estate. |
| Zoom guidelines are local | If a hearing is set on Zoom, the court requires video capability, provides no technical help, and treats a failure to connect as choosing not to appear. |
| Parking and security take time | The court states that parking is limited and tells visitors to arrive early. The Robert P. Griffin Hall of Justice uses security screening. |
Small-estate Alternatives
Grand Traverse County publishes a local checklist for assignment of property filings. The statewide threshold for a 2026 death is $53,000 under MCL 700.3982 and MCL 700.3983, but the court's local checklist is still useful because it tells you what this counter expects with the petition.
For an assignment filing, the court's checklist asks for the SCAO petition and order for assignment, heirship testimony, a copy of the death certificate signed by the county clerk, protected personal identifying information papers, the funeral bill and receipt showing who paid it, and the filing fee and inventory fee. As of August 2026, the petition for assignment costs $25.00 under MCL 600.880, and the inventory fee under MCL 600.871 still applies.
Recent updates
| Current local note | What changed for families |
|---|---|
| Paper probate filing in Grand Traverse County | Grand Traverse County Probate Court is not on MiFILE for estates. Opening papers must be mailed or brought to Suite 223 with payment. |
| Payment limits | The probate court states that it accepts cash, check or money order and does not accept credit or debit cards for probate filings. |
| Death certificate handling | The court's estate-opening instructions reflect the two-copy death certificate rule under MCR 5.302 and state that certified copies are not required. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Grand Traverse County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | First check the deed and account titles. If the home passes outside probate, the court filing may be limited or unnecessary. If estate authority is needed for another asset, file the correct SCAO packet with the Probate Court in Suite 223. | Sunset helps find accounts, organize title information, and prepare the packet so the spouse does not file more than the estate needs. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | For an assignment of property, use the SCAO petition and the court's local checklist, then mail the packet with a check or money order payable to Grand Traverse County Probate Court. Opening papers with a fee cannot be emailed or faxed. | Sunset helps identify balances, gather the funeral bill and receipt, generate the forms, and flag when a local attorney should review the plan. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale usually requires a personal representative with letters of authority. If the original will is missing, the court's instruction says to use the formal petition route rather than the informal application. | Sunset helps assemble asset and debt information, prepare the estate settlement packet, and connect the parent with a Michigan probate attorney for the sale and title issues. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Traverse County Probate Court | The local filing counter for Grand Traverse estates. Staff can provide forms and instructions, but cannot give legal advice or fill out forms. | 280 Washington Street, Suite 223, Traverse City, MI 49684. Phone (231) 922-6862. Email [email protected]. |
| Decedent estate instructions | The court's own instructions for informal probate, formal probate and small estates, including what to bring with the opening papers. | Online court guide |
| Duties of a personal representative | The court's local instructions after appointment, including Grand Traverse real property valuation for the inventory. | Online court guide |
| Zoom guidelines | The court's instructions for hearings held by Zoom. | Online court guide |
| SCAO probate forms | The statewide estates, trusts and miscellaneous probate form index used by this court. | Online form index |
| Inventory fee calculator | The Michigan Judiciary calculator for the inventory fee under MCL 600.871. | Online calculator |
| Michigan Legal Help | Plain-language Michigan probate and small-estate information, including guided tools. | Online self-help |
| Legal Services of Northern Michigan, Traverse City office | Free civil legal help for eligible people in Grand Traverse County. Call intake to ask whether the estate question fits their services. | 735 S. Garfield Ave., Ste. 120, Traverse City, MI 49686. Phone (231) 941-0771 or (888) 941-9599. |
| Michigan Indian Legal Services | A legal services program based in Traverse City that the probate court lists on its legal information page. | 814 S. Garfield Ave., Suite A, Traverse City, MI 49686. Phone (231) 947-0122 or (800) 968-6877. |
When to hire an attorney
A lawyer is especially useful in Grand Traverse County when real property must be sold, when title has to be cleared, when the estate is too large for assignment of property, when the original will cannot be found and a formal petition is needed, when heirs disagree, when creditors press claims, or when an out-of-state personal representative cannot easily handle paper filing and payment in Traverse City. The court's own pages make clear that staff cannot give legal advice or complete forms for you. Sunset connects to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions so families can build the asset picture needed for Grand Traverse County estate settlement before choosing a probate path.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family's answers into organized SCAO probate forms and filing instructions tailored to the Grand Traverse County Probate Court's paper filing rules.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate involves a home sale, missing original will, creditor dispute or formal hearing, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Michigan probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement, discover assets and understand next steps without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Grand Traverse County?
File with the Grand Traverse County Probate Court at the Robert P. Griffin Hall of Justice, 280 Washington Street, Suite 223, Traverse City, MI 49684. Use the probate court's phone number, (231) 922-6862, not the district court, circuit court or family court number.
Can I e-file a Grand Traverse County probate case?
No. Grand Traverse County Probate Court is not on MiFILE for decedent estates. Papers that require a fee must be mailed with payment or brought to the counter with payment. Papers that do not require a fee may be emailed to [email protected] or faxed to (231) 922-4458.
What does it cost to open an estate in Grand Traverse County?
As of August 2026, opening a decedent estate costs $175.00, consisting of the $150.00 commencement fee under MCL 600.880 and the $25.00 electronic filing system fee under MCL 600.1986. The estate also owes an inventory fee under MCL 600.871. Grand Traverse accepts cash, check or money order, but not credit or debit cards.
Does Grand Traverse County have local probate forms?
No local probate forms or local cover sheet are published. Use the statewide SCAO PC forms. Grand Traverse County Probate Court does publish helpful local instruction pages, including decedent-estate instructions, a small-estate checklist, personal representative duties, fee information and Zoom guidelines.
Do I need certified death certificates for a Grand Traverse estate filing?
The court states that certified copies are not required. For an estate opening, the court asks for two death certificates signed by the county clerk, one unredacted and one with the date of birth and social security number redacted, consistent with MCR 5.302.
Can I look up a Grand Traverse probate case online?
No online probate case lookup is published for Grand Traverse County estates. To ask about an estate file, call the Probate Court at (231) 922-6862 during its published hours.
Are Grand Traverse County probate hearings on Zoom?
The court publishes Zoom guidelines, but does not say that every estate hearing is remote. If your hearing notice sets a Zoom hearing, you need video capability, a camera, a microphone and a stable internet connection. A participant who cannot use video must appear in person under the court's guidelines.
Where does Grand Traverse County publish creditor notices?
The court names the Traverse City Record Eagle and the Northern Express for publication in Grand Traverse estates. The publication fee is collected by the newspaper and may change.
Do I have to travel to Traverse City to open an estate?
Not always. You may mail papers that require a fee to the Probate Court with a check or money order. If you bring papers to the counter, use Suite 223 of the Robert P. Griffin Hall of Justice and allow time for security and parking.
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.