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Huron County, MI Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Huron County detail |
|---|---|
| Court | Huron County Probate Court |
| Courthouse address | Huron County Building, 250 E. Huron Ave., Room 206, Bad Axe, MI 48413 |
| Mailing address | No separate mailing address or PO Box is published. Use the street address. |
| Phone | (989) 269-9944 |
| Fax | (989) 269-0004 |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except holidays. The court says it is open through lunch. |
| Filing fee | Opening a decedent estate costs $175.00, made up of $150.00 under MCL 600.880 plus $25.00 under MCL 600.1986, as reviewed August 2026. The estate also owes an inventory fee under MCL 600.871. An assignment of property petition costs $25.00 under MCL 600.880, as reviewed August 2026, plus the inventory fee. |
| Local forms | Yes. Huron publishes informal-estate instruction letters for estates with and without a will, plus a local change-of-address and phone-number form. |
| E-filing status | Huron County Probate Court is not on MiFILE. Huron 73B District Court appears on a different e-filing chart, but that is not the probate court. |
| Case search | No case-by-name or case-number online lookup for Huron County probate files. The court's Probate Docket link is a courtroom display for the current calendar, not a searchable lookup. |
| Remote appearance | The court publishes a Zoom-appearance letter for probate hearings. Uncontested decedent-estate hearings are also presumed eligible for videoconferencing under MCR 5.140, subject to the court's authority to require an in-person hearing. |
| Website | Huron County Probate Court, https://www.co.huron.mi.us/probate-court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Huron County, list the assets, debts, funeral expenses, heirs, devisees, and whether an original will exists. The right estate settlement path depends on what is in the estate and whether the probate register can act informally or a judge must decide an issue.
Sunset can help organize that first step by running asset discovery across more than 2,300 financial institutions, then using what is found to help prepare the Huron County estate settlement packet or decide whether attorney help is needed.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Huron County Probate Court serves Huron County from the Huron County Building in Bad Axe. There is no branch probate counter elsewhere in the county, and Huron is not part of a two-county probate district.
File in Huron County when the decedent was domiciled in Huron County at death. If the decedent was not domiciled in Michigan, venue is proper in a Michigan county where the decedent's property was located at death (MCL 700.3201).
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the local path. For an informal estate, use Huron County's instruction letter for either an estate with no will or an estate with a will. If the matter needs a judge, use the statewide formal petition instead of the informal application.
- Prepare the opening packet. Huron's informal instructions list PC 558, MC 97, PC 565, PC 571, PC 573, PC 574, PC 577, PC 564, and other forms depending on the will and appointment issues. For an estate with a will, bring the original will. For either informal packet, bring a copy of the death certificate and a copy of the proposed personal representative's driver's license.
- File at the probate register's counter or mail the packet to Huron County Probate Court, Huron County Building, 250 E. Huron Ave., Room 206, Bad Axe, MI 48413. Huron County Probate Court is not on MiFILE.
- Pay the opening cost. Opening a decedent estate costs $175.00, made up of $150.00 under MCL 600.880 plus $25.00 under MCL 600.1986, as reviewed August 2026, and the estate later owes the inventory fee under MCL 600.871.
- Give the required notices. On the informal track, written information of the probate must be given to interested persons within 28 days after informal probate is granted (MCL 700.3306). The personal representative also handles creditor notice under Michigan law.
- Attend any hearing or appointment the court sets. Huron publishes Zoom-appearance instructions for probate hearings, and uncontested decedent-estate hearings are presumed eligible for videoconferencing under MCR 5.140, but the court can require an in-person hearing.
- Obtain letters of authority if a personal representative is appointed. Certified copies cost $10.00 plus $1.00 per page under MCL 600.2546, as reviewed August 2026.
- Administer and close the estate. File the inventory information on time, pay the inventory fee under MCL 600.871, distribute property when allowed, keep interested persons informed, and use the proper SCAO closing form or settlement petition when the estate is ready to close.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Huron County
Michigan uses statewide SCAO probate forms, and Huron County's own informal-estate letters point filers to those forms. Huron publishes two local instruction letters, one for an informal decedent estate with no will and one for an informal decedent estate with a will.
| Local item | What Huron County says to include |
|---|---|
| Informal estate with no will | Huron's letter lists PC 558, MC 97, PC 565, PC 567 or PC 557, PC 571, PC 573, PC 618, PC 574, PC 577, and PC 564. It also asks for a copy of the death certificate and a copy of the proposed personal representative's driver's license. |
| Informal estate with a will | Huron's parallel letter lists the same core packet, adds PC 566 when the will leaves bequests to non-heirs, and lists MC 97a. It also asks for the original will, a copy of the death certificate, and a copy of the proposed personal representative's driver's license. |
| Fee statement in Huron's letters | The letters match the statewide opening cost: $175.00, made up of $150.00 under MCL 600.880 plus $25.00 under MCL 600.1986, as reviewed August 2026. The with-will letter also notes that an inventory fee will be charged later based on the estate's value under MCL 600.871. |
| Local change form | Huron also publishes a local change-of-address and phone-number form for a ward, guardian, conservator, personal representative, or petitioner. |
| State form index | Estates, trusts and miscellaneous probate forms, https://www.courts.michigan.gov/SCAO-forms/Estates-Trusts/ |
Local nuance
Huron County-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Informal-estate instruction letters | Huron County publishes separate instructions for informal decedent estates with and without a will, so local filers can match the court's expected packet before going to Room 206. |
| Open through lunch | The court's published hours say 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday except holidays, and expressly say the office is open for lunch. |
| Zoom instructions | The court publishes a local Zoom-appearance letter. It says a person may appear in person or through Zoom with the appropriate access, and that a person unable to appear should notify or fax the court. |
| No searchable probate lookup | Huron County Probate Court is not listed on the MiCOURT case-search platform. The Probate Docket link is a courtroom display for the current calendar, not a search by name or case number. |
| No MiFILE | Huron County Probate Court is not on the statewide MiFILE probate list. File through the probate register's office instead of trying to select Huron Probate Court in MiFILE. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Persona | Likely Huron County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | Start by checking how the home is titled and whether any asset actually needs probate in Huron County. If a personal representative is needed, use the Huron County informal packet when the estate is uncontested and complete. | Sunset helps identify accounts and debts, organize title and beneficiary information, and prepare a packet for the Bad Axe probate counter when probate is needed. |
| Out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | If the estate qualifies for assignment of property for a 2026 death, the statewide ceiling is $53,000 under MCL 700.3982, 700.3983. If no court filing is needed for a transfer by affidavit, do not file that affidavit with Huron County Probate Court. If a court order is needed, file PC 556 in Huron County. | Sunset helps sort assets, choose between a court filing and a non-court transfer, and coordinate local attorney help if travel to Bad Axe is difficult. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | When a Huron County home must be sold through the estate, full administration is often the safer path because the personal representative may need letters of authority to act for the estate. | Sunset helps find financial accounts, generate the estate settlement packet, and connect the family with a Michigan probate attorney for sale and title issues. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Huron County Probate Court | The filing counter for Huron County estates. The court publishes informal-estate instruction letters and a Zoom-appearance letter. | Huron County Building, 250 E. Huron Ave., Room 206, Bad Axe, MI 48413. Phone (989) 269-9944. Fax (989) 269-0004. Email [email protected]. Website https://www.co.huron.mi.us/probate-court |
| Estates, trusts and miscellaneous probate forms | Statewide SCAO-approved probate forms used for Michigan estate filings. | https://www.courts.michigan.gov/SCAO-forms/Estates-Trusts/ |
| Inventory fee calculator | Michigan Judiciary calculator for the inventory fee owed on estate assets. | https://www.courts.michigan.gov/courts/trial-courts/inventory-calculator/ |
| Michigan Legal Help | Plain-language Michigan probate and small-estate articles and guided interviews. | https://michiganlegalhelp.org/ |
| Legal Services of Eastern Michigan, Flint office | Free civil legal help for eligible low-income residents of Huron County. Ask at intake whether the estate question fits current priorities. | 436 S. Saginaw Street, Ste. 101, Flint, Michigan 48502. Toll free (800) 322-4512. Website https://lsem-mi.org/ |
When to hire an attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions, helps organize what the decedent owned and owed, and gives the family a clearer starting point for Huron County estate settlement.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the asset list, family information, and will status into a working probate packet, including the statewide SCAO forms Huron County points filers to for informal estates.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate involves Huron County real property, creditor disputes, a will challenge, 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 get help moving from uncertainty to a filed estate settlement plan.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Huron County?
File at Huron County Probate Court, Huron County Building, 250 E. Huron Ave., Room 206, Bad Axe, MI 48413. Huron County venue is proper when the decedent was domiciled in Huron County at death, or when an out-of-state decedent left property in Huron County (MCL 700.3201).
Can I e-file a Huron County probate case?
Huron County Probate Court is not on MiFILE. File through the probate register's office instead of trying to select Huron Probate Court in MiFILE.
How much does it cost to open a Huron County estate?
Opening a decedent estate costs $175.00, made up of $150.00 under MCL 600.880 plus $25.00 under MCL 600.1986, as reviewed August 2026. The estate also owes an inventory fee under MCL 600.871. An assignment of property petition costs $25.00 under MCL 600.880, as reviewed August 2026, plus the inventory fee.
Does Huron County have local probate forms?
Huron County publishes local instruction letters for informal estates with and without a will, and those letters list the statewide SCAO forms the court expects in the packet. The court also publishes a local change-of-address and phone-number form.
Can I look up a Huron County probate case online?
No case-by-name or case-number online lookup is available for Huron County probate files. The court's Probate Docket link is a courtroom display for the current calendar, not a searchable file lookup. Call Huron County Probate Court for questions about a specific file.
Does Huron County allow Zoom for probate hearings?
Huron County publishes a Zoom-appearance letter for probate hearings. Uncontested decedent-estate hearings are presumed eligible for videoconferencing under MCR 5.140, but the court can still require an in-person hearing.
Do I have to travel to Bad Axe for Huron County probate?
Not always. Huron County publishes Zoom instructions for hearings, and some filings can be mailed to the court's published address. Call the probate office before relying on remote appearance or mailing for a deadline-sensitive filing.
What should I bring for an informal estate filing in Huron County?
Huron's informal-estate instruction letters ask for the appropriate SCAO forms, a copy of the death certificate, and a copy of the proposed personal representative's driver's license. If there is a will, the court's with-will letter also asks for the original will.
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.