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Livingston County, MI Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Livingston County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Livingston County Probate Court |
| Courthouse address | Livingston County Judicial Center, 204 S. Highlander Way, Suite 2, Howell, MI 48843 |
| Mailing | No separate mailing address is published. The court publishes in-person, drop box, email and fax filing channels. |
| Phone | (517) 546-3750 |
| Fax | (517) 552-2510 |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed county holidays. No lunch closure or filing cutoff is published. |
| Filing fee | Opening a decedent estate costs $175.00, current as of August 2026, made up of the $150.00 commencement fee (MCL 600.880) plus the $25.00 electronic filing system fee (MCL 600.1986). The estate also owes an inventory fee scaled to the estate value (MCL 600.871). |
| Local forms | None published. Livingston uses the statewide SCAO probate forms. |
| E-filing | MiFILE is live for Livingston County Probate Court. Attorneys must use MiFILE for probate filings. Self-represented filers may use MiFILE but do not have to. |
| Case search | MiCOURT case search is available for Livingston probate files from 2004 forward. For earlier files, the court tells readers to call (517) 546-3750. https://micourt.courts.michigan.gov/case-search/court/P47 |
| Remote appearance | Uncontested decedent-estate petitions and motions are presumed to use videoconferencing under MCR 5.140, subject to the court's directions under MCR 2.407. Ask the probate court how your hearing will be held. |
| Website | https://milivcounty.gov/probate/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Livingston County, make a practical list of what the decedent owned, what was jointly owned, what had a beneficiary, what debts are known, and whether Livingston real estate needs to pass through the estate. That asset and liability picture determines whether you are using a small-estate route, informal probate with the probate register, or a formal proceeding before the judge.
Sunset can support estate settlement before the first filing by searching across more than 2,300 financial institutions for accounts and assets, then organizing what you find into the probate packet Livingston County Probate Court expects.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Livingston County has its own Probate Court and is not part of a two-county probate district. Estates are opened at the probate register's counter in Suite 2 of the Livingston County Judicial Center, 204 S. Highlander Way, Howell, MI 48843.
The same Howell campus includes other Livingston County courts, but probate filings go to Suite 2. Do not use the 53rd District Court counter in Suite 1, the Brighton district court location, the circuit court locations, or the Livingston County Administration Building for a decedent-estate filing.
The one probate counter in Howell serves the cities of Brighton and Howell, the villages of Fowlerville and Pinckney, and the townships of Brighton, Cohoctah, Conway, Deerfield, Genoa, Green Oak, Hamburg, Handy, Hartland, Howell, Iosco, Marion, Oceola, Putnam, Tyrone and Unadilla. Venue 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
- Start with the assets, debts and title issues. Identify bank accounts, vehicles, retirement assets, beneficiary designations, jointly held property and any Livingston County real estate before choosing a filing path.
- Choose the Michigan probate path and the correct statewide SCAO form. Livingston publishes no probate form of its own, but it gives local filing instructions for small estates, informal estates, formal estates and transfer by affidavit.
- Prepare the opening papers for the path you are using. For an informal estate, the probate register handles the file without the probate judge under the informal process described by the court. If you have only a copy of the will, Livingston says you cannot use informal proceedings.
- Deliver the filing to the Livingston County Probate Court. You may file in person in Suite 2, place papers in the secure mailbox outside the Judicial Center in an envelope labeled Probate Court, email [email protected], fax (517) 552-2510, or use MiFILE if you are filing electronically. Attorneys must use MiFILE.
- Pay the filing fee. Opening a decedent estate costs $175.00, current as of August 2026, made up of the $150.00 commencement fee (MCL 600.880) and the $25.00 electronic filing system fee (MCL 600.1986). A petition for assignment of property costs $25.00, current as of August 2026 (MCL 600.880). The estate also owes the inventory fee (MCL 600.871). For faxed or emailed filings, Livingston says filing fees may be paid by credit card by calling (517) 546-3750.
- Give the required notices. If a notice to creditors is needed, Livingston points personal representatives to the Livingston Daily legal-notices desk at [email protected] or (888) 516-9220. The publication fee is paid to the newspaper.
- Watch for hearing information. Livingston publishes an online Probate Court hearing schedule through the county hearing-schedules page, but no standing probate hearing days or filing-to-hearing wait is published. Check your notice and the court schedule.
- Ask how any hearing will be held. Michigan court rules presume videoconferencing for uncontested decedent-estate petitions and motions under MCR 5.140, while MCR 2.407 lets the court decide the manner of appearance and requires reasonable notice of how to join.
- Receive letters of authority if a personal representative is appointed. Livingston publishes $13.00 per certified set, as published August 2026. State law sets certified copies at a $10.00 certification fee plus $1.00 per page (MCL 600.2546).
- Administer and close the estate. The personal representative gathers assets, deals with creditors, presents the inventory for Livingston's probate register to review for the inventory fee, distributes property, and closes the estate using the proper Michigan closing procedure.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Livingston County
Livingston County Probate Court publishes instructions, not probate paperwork of its own. The forms used for estates are the statewide SCAO-approved probate forms at https://www.courts.michigan.gov/SCAO-forms/Estates-Trusts/.
| Filing need | Livingston County practice |
|---|---|
| Local cover sheet or local form | None is published for probate. Use the statewide SCAO forms. |
| Small-estate assignment | Use PC 556, Petition and Order for Assignment. For a 2026 death, the assignment of property threshold is $53,000 (MCL 700.3982). Livingston asks that PC 556 be typed or printed legibly in blue ink, with a death certificate showing Livingston County residence and a funeral bill marked paid or showing the amount due. |
| Transfer by affidavit | Use PC 598, Affidavit of Decedent's Successor for Delivery of Certain Assets Owned by Decedent. For a 2026 death, the transfer by affidavit threshold is $53,000 (MCL 700.3983). Livingston states there is no other court involvement and that probate staff cannot notarize the document. |
| Informal estate | Use the statewide informal probate forms. Livingston describes informal probate as administration without intervention of the probate judge, handled by the probate register. The court states that if you have only a copy of the will, informal proceedings are not available. |
| Formal estate | Use the statewide formal probate forms. Livingston's formal-estate instructions include a check made payable to the Livingston County Probate Court for the filing fee. |
| Inventory | Use PC 577, Inventory. Livingston states the original inventory does not have to be filed, but it must be reviewed by the probate register to determine the inventory fee. |
| Protected information | Use Michigan's protected personal identifying information forms when needed so account numbers and other protected details are not placed on the public probate form. |
Local nuance
Livingston County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a Livingston filing |
|---|---|
| Four filing channels | Livingston publishes filing in person, by secure drop box outside the Judicial Center, by email to [email protected], and by fax to (517) 552-2510. Drop-box papers should be in an envelope labeled Probate Court. |
| Remote filing payment by phone | For filings sent by fax or email, the court says filing fees may be paid by credit card by calling (517) 546-3750. No probate online payment portal is published. |
| Suite 2 matters | The probate counter is Suite 2 at 204 S. Highlander Way. The district court is in Suite 1, and other Livingston County court and county offices are elsewhere. |
| MiFILE status | Livingston County Probate Court is live on MiFILE. Attorneys must use it for probate filings. A self-represented personal representative may use MiFILE but is not required to. |
| Case lookup limit | Livingston publishes MiCOURT lookup for probate files from 2004 forward. For a file before 2004, the court says to call (517) 546-3750. |
| Small-estate counter instructions | The court asks for PC 556 in blue ink, a death certificate showing Livingston County residence, and a funeral bill marked paid or showing the amount due. |
| Inventory handling | The court says the original inventory does not have to be filed, but it must be reviewed by the probate register to determine the inventory fee. The court's notice says inventory fees, once paid, are not refunded. |
| Creditor publication | The court points personal representatives to the Livingston Daily legal-notices desk for the notice to creditors. |
| Copies and certified letters | Livingston publishes $13.00 per certified set of letters of authority, as published August 2026, consistent with the $10.00 certification fee plus $1.00 per page (MCL 600.2546). The court publishes $1.50 per page for probate document copies, as published August 2026. |
| Will safekeeping | The court accepts wills for safekeeping during a testator's lifetime for $25.00, current as of August 2026 (MCL 600.880c). After a death certificate is filed, the will becomes part of the public probate file if an estate is opened. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Persona | Likely Livingston County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | Start by confirming how the Brighton, Howell, Hartland or other Livingston County home is titled and whether any probate asset remains. If an estate must be opened, file with the Livingston County Probate Court in Suite 2 in Howell, or use MiFILE if represented by counsel. | Sunset helps identify nonprobate transfers, find accounts, organize the asset list, and prepare the estate settlement packet before anything is delivered to the probate register. |
| Out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | Livingston's published filing channels are useful if you cannot get to Howell. The court accepts filings by email or fax, and says filing fees for those submissions may be paid by credit card by calling (517) 546-3750. For a 2026 death, the small-estate assignment and transfer by affidavit figure is $53,000 (MCL 700.3982, 700.3983). | Sunset helps decide which small-estate path may fit, gathers institution information, prepares the statewide form set, and flags when a Livingston attorney should review the plan. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | If the home must be sold by the estate, a personal representative's authority may be needed. File in Livingston County if the child was domiciled there at death, or if the child was not domiciled in Michigan but left Livingston County property (MCL 700.3201). | Sunset helps collect property, mortgage and account details, generate the probate packet, and connect the family with a vetted Michigan probate attorney for the sale and court steps. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact or URL |
|---|---|---|
| Livingston County Probate Court | The probate counter for opening a Livingston County estate. The court can provide forms and filing directions, but it says staff cannot give legal advice or administer the estate for you. | 204 S. Highlander Way, Suite 2, Howell, MI 48843. (517) 546-3750. [email protected]. https://milivcounty.gov/probate/ |
| Livingston County probate case search | MiCOURT lookup for Livingston probate files from 2004 forward. For older files, call the court. | https://micourt.courts.michigan.gov/case-search/court/P47 |
| Livingston County court hearing schedules | County page linking the online hearing schedule for the Probate Court. | https://milivcounty.gov/courts/hearing-schedules/ |
| Livingston County Legal Self-Help Center | The county courts describe self-help staff and public computers for MichiganLegalHelp.org at the Howell Carnegie District Library. No staffing hours are published, so check before going. | 314 W. Grand River Avenue, Howell, MI 48843. https://milivcounty.gov/courts/legal-resources/ |
| SCAO estates, trusts and miscellaneous probate forms | The statewide probate form index Livingston uses for estate filings. | https://www.courts.michigan.gov/SCAO-forms/Estates-Trusts/ |
| Inventory fee calculator | Michigan Judiciary calculator for the inventory fee owed by an estate. | https://www.courts.michigan.gov/courts/trial-courts/inventory-calculator/ |
| MiFILE | Michigan's e-filing system. Livingston County Probate Court is live on MiFILE. Attorneys must use it for probate filings here, and self-represented filers may use it. | https://mifile.courts.michigan.gov/login |
| Michigan Legal Help | Statewide plain-language articles and tools for Michigan probate and small-estate questions. | https://michiganlegalhelp.org/ |
| Legal Services of South Central Michigan, Lansing office | Free civil legal help for eligible low-income residents and older adults in Livingston County. Estate administration is not listed among its published priorities, so ask intake whether your question fits. | 3490 Belle Chase Way, Suite 50, Lansing, MI 48911. (888) 783-8190. https://www.lsscm.org/ |
| Michigan Trial Court Directory | State court directory listing for Livingston County Probate Court. | https://www.courts.michigan.gov/trial-court-directory/ |
When to hire an attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help identify accounts, balances and leads that belong in the Livingston County estate settlement plan.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the information you provide into the Michigan probate forms and supporting documents that fit the path you are using in Livingston County.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Livingston home has to be sold, a dispute is developing, or a formal court step is needed, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Michigan probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to move from uncertainty to a clearer estate settlement checklist without paying Sunset for the core support.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Livingston County?
File with the Livingston County Probate Court at the Livingston County Judicial Center, 204 S. Highlander Way, Suite 2, Howell, MI 48843. The probate counter is Suite 2, not the district court counter in Suite 1.
Can I file a Livingston County probate case by email or fax?
Yes. Livingston publishes four filing channels: in person, secure drop box outside the Judicial Center, email to [email protected], and fax to (517) 552-2510. The court says filing fees for faxed or emailed submissions may be paid by credit card by calling (517) 546-3750.
Does Livingston County Probate Court use MiFILE?
Yes. Livingston County Probate Court is live on MiFILE. Attorneys must use MiFILE for probate filings. Self-represented filers may use MiFILE but are not required to.
How much does it cost to open an estate in Livingston County?
Opening a decedent estate costs $175.00, current as of August 2026, made up of the $150.00 commencement fee (MCL 600.880) plus the $25.00 electronic filing system fee (MCL 600.1986). The estate also owes an inventory fee based on estate value (MCL 600.871). The Michigan Judiciary inventory fee calculator is at https://www.courts.michigan.gov/courts/trial-courts/inventory-calculator/.
Does Livingston County have its own probate forms?
No. Livingston publishes probate instructions, but no local probate form, cover sheet or checklist. Use the statewide SCAO probate forms at https://www.courts.michigan.gov/SCAO-forms/Estates-Trusts/.
Can I look up a Livingston County probate case online?
Yes. Livingston links to MiCOURT case search for this court's probate files at https://micourt.courts.michigan.gov/case-search/court/P47. The court says files before 2004 are not searched online and asks you to call (517) 546-3750 for those.
Are Livingston County probate hearings remote?
Michigan court rules presume videoconferencing for uncontested decedent-estate petitions and motions under MCR 5.140, subject to the court's directions under MCR 2.407. Livingston County courts publish a general virtual-hearings page, but you should ask the probate court how your specific hearing will be held.
Does Livingston County publish probate hearing days or wait times?
Livingston publishes an online Probate Court hearing schedule through https://milivcounty.gov/courts/hearing-schedules/. It does not publish standing probate hearing days or a filing-to-hearing wait.
Do I have to travel to Howell if I live out of state?
Not for every filing. Livingston allows filings by email and fax, and self-represented filers may use MiFILE. If a hearing is set, ask the probate court whether it will be handled by videoconference or in person.
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.