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Menominee County, MI Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Menominee County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Menominee County Probate Court |
| Courthouse address | Menominee County Courthouse, 839 Tenth Avenue, Menominee, MI 49858 |
| Mailing address | Probate Court, 839 Tenth Avenue, Menominee, MI 49858. No separate PO Box is published. |
| Probate phone | (906) 863-2634 |
| Fax | No probate fax number is published. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. No filing cutoff or appointment rule is published. |
| Fee to open a decedent estate | $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. |
| Local forms | Yes. Menominee publishes an Informal Probate Packet and a Petition and Order for Assignment Packet in addition to statewide SCAO forms. |
| E-filing | Menominee County Probate Court is not on MiFILE. Do not confuse this with Menominee County circuit or district court e-filing. |
| Case lookup | No online case lookup is published for Menominee probate matters. Call (906) 863-2634 to ask about an open file. |
| Remote appearance | No local Zoom page is published. Uncontested decedent estate hearings are presumed eligible for videoconferencing under MCR 5.140, and the court gives the access instructions for the case. |
| Online payment | The court publishes an online payment link for fines, costs and fees. Have the case name and case number ready. |
| Website | Menominee County Probate Court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Menominee County, make a working list of the decedent's assets, debts, names of heirs and devisees, and whether any Menominee County real property must be transferred or sold. That list determines whether you can use a small-estate path, an informal estate, or a formal court filing.
Sunset's estate settlement tools can search across more than 2,300 institutions for accounts and assets, then help organize the information you need before you contact the Menominee probate register or prepare a filing packet.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Menominee County estates are filed at one courthouse: the Menominee County Courthouse, 839 Tenth Avenue, Menominee, MI 49858. The probate register's counter at that courthouse serves the county from the city of Menominee.
Menominee County is not part of a Michigan two-county probate district. 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).
The jurisdiction process
- List the decedent's assets, debts, interested persons, and any Menominee County real estate before choosing a filing path.
- Choose the right Michigan path. Menominee publishes a local Informal Probate Packet for an informal estate and a local Petition and Order for Assignment Packet for assignment of property, and statewide SCAO forms are also used.
- Prepare the opening papers. Informal estates usually use PC 558, with related statewide forms such as testimony to identify heirs and acceptance of appointment. Formal proceedings use PC 559.
- File with the probate register at the Menominee County Courthouse, 839 Tenth Avenue, Menominee, MI 49858. Menominee County Probate Court is not on MiFILE, so use the court's counter or mail process unless the court gives a different instruction for your case.
- Pay the statutory court charges. Opening a decedent estate costs $175.00 for 2026, with $150.00 under MCL 600.880 and $25.00 under MCL 600.1986, and the estate also owes the inventory fee under MCL 600.871. Menominee also publishes an online payment link for cases with a name and case number.
- Give the required notices. After informal probate is granted, the applicant gives written information of the probate within 28 days under MCL 700.3306. After appointment, the personal representative publishes and sends creditor notices under MCL 700.3801.
- Attend any hearing if one is set. No Menominee estate hearing days are published. If a hearing is scheduled, uncontested decedent estate hearings are presumed eligible for videoconferencing under MCR 5.140, but the court controls the access method under MCR 2.407.
- Receive letters of authority if a personal representative is appointed. Those letters are the Michigan authority document used to work with banks, buyers, title companies, and other institutions.
- Administer the estate. The personal representative gathers assets, handles creditor claims, keeps interested persons informed, files inventory information within 91 days after letters of authority under MCR 5.307, pays the inventory fee, distributes property, and closes the estate when Michigan law allows.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Menominee County
Menominee uses Michigan's statewide SCAO probate forms and also publishes two local estate packets: an Informal Probate Packet and a Petition and Order for Assignment Packet. Use the local packet as the Menominee court's practical starting point, but rely on the current SCAO form index for statewide form titles and revisions.
| Form or packet | Use in Menominee County |
|---|---|
| Menominee Informal Probate Packet | Local packet for opening an informal decedent estate at the Menominee County Probate Court. |
| Menominee Petition and Order for Assignment Packet | Local packet for the assignment of property path. The 2026 petition fee is $25.00 under MCL 600.880, plus any inventory fee under MCL 600.871. |
| PC 558, Application for Informal Probate and/or Appointment of Personal Representative | Statewide SCAO form used to open an informal estate. |
| PC 559, Petition for Probate and/or Appointment of Personal Representative | Statewide SCAO form used for a formal estate proceeding before a judge. |
| PC 556, Petition and Order for Assignment | Statewide SCAO form for assignment of property under MCL 700.3982. |
| PC 598, Affidavit of Decedent's Successor for Delivery of Certain Assets Owned by Decedent | Statewide SCAO form for transfer by affidavit under MCL 700.3983. It is presented to the holder of the property, not filed with the court. |
| PC 572, Letters of Authority for Personal Representative | Authority document issued after appointment of a personal representative. |
| PC 577, Inventory (Decedent Estate) | Inventory form tied to the inventory fee under MCL 600.871. |
Michigan court rules limit extra paperwork in informal, unsupervised estates. Except in formal proceedings and supervised administration, the court may not require documents beyond those required by statute or court rule (MCR 5.307).
Local nuance
Menominee County-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Local packets are published | Menominee offers an Informal Probate Packet and a Petition and Order for Assignment Packet, which can make the first filing easier to assemble. |
| No printable probate email is published | The court points users to a web contact form rather than an office email address. For urgent filing questions, call (906) 863-2634. |
| Probate is not on MiFILE | Menominee County appears in other court e-filing lists, but not for probate. Estate filings go through the probate court's own counter or mail process unless the court directs otherwise. |
| No online probate case lookup is published | To check on a Menominee estate file, call the probate court rather than looking for an online docket. |
| Online payment link exists | The court publishes a payment link for fines, costs and fees. It asks for the case name and case number. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by checking how title is held and whether any asset actually needs probate in Menominee County. If an estate must be opened, file with the probate register at 839 Tenth Avenue in Menominee. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts and title issues so the spouse does not open a full estate unnecessarily. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | Review whether assignment of property or transfer by affidavit fits. Menominee publishes a Petition and Order for Assignment Packet for the court-filed path, and the probate court is not on MiFILE. | Sunset helps gather asset information, generate the right packet, and coordinate with local counsel if travel to Menominee is difficult. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of Menominee County real property often requires a personal representative with letters of authority. File the estate at the Menominee County Probate Court and ask how any hearing will be handled. | Sunset helps organize the estate settlement tasks, locate financial accounts, and connect the parent with a vetted Michigan probate attorney for the real estate transfer. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Menominee County Probate Court | The filing counter for Menominee estates. Staff can explain court procedures but cannot give legal advice. | 839 Tenth Avenue, Menominee, MI 49858. Phone (906) 863-2634. Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Informal Probate Packet | Menominee's local packet for opening an informal decedent estate. | Online PDF |
| Petition and Order for Assignment Packet | Menominee's local packet for the court-filed assignment of property path. | Online PDF |
| Pay probate court fees online | Online payment for fines, costs and fees when you have the case name and case number. | Online payment portal |
| Michigan Trial Court Directory | State judiciary directory entry for court contact information. | Online directory |
| Estates, trusts and miscellaneous probate forms | Statewide SCAO form index for Michigan probate filings. | Online form index |
| Inventory fee calculator | Michigan Judiciary calculator for the inventory fee under MCL 600.871. | Online calculator |
| Michigan Legal Help | Plain-language Michigan probate and small-estate information. | Online self-help site |
| Legal Services of Northern Michigan, Escanaba office | Free civil legal help for eligible residents of Delta, Schoolcraft and Menominee counties. Ask at intake whether your estate question fits their help areas. | 504 Ludington Street, Escanaba, MI 49829. Phone (906) 786-2303. |
When to hire an attorney
A probate attorney is especially useful in Menominee County when local real property must be sold or title must be cleared, when heirs disagree, when a will contest is likely, when creditor claims are active, when the estate is too large for assignment of property, or when the personal representative lives out of state and cannot easily handle courthouse steps in Menominee. Sunset connects families with a vetted Michigan probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 institutions and helps build the asset list that drives every Menominee County estate settlement decision.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the asset and family information into a probate packet that can be matched with Menominee's local packets and Michigan's statewide SCAO forms.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Menominee estate involves real estate, disputes, creditor issues, or an out-of-state personal representative, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Michigan probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement, identify next steps, and decide whether they need court filing support or attorney help.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Menominee County?
File Menominee County probate matters with the probate register at the Menominee County Probate Court, 839 Tenth Avenue, Menominee, MI 49858. The probate phone number is (906) 863-2634.
Is Menominee County Probate Court on MiFILE?
No. Menominee County Probate Court is not on MiFILE. Menominee County has other courts that appear in e-filing lists, but those are not the probate court.
Does Menominee County have local probate forms?
Yes. Menominee publishes an Informal Probate Packet and a Petition and Order for Assignment Packet. Michigan statewide SCAO probate forms still apply, and the SCAO form index is the best place to check current form titles.
How much does it cost to open an estate in Menominee County?
For 2026, opening a decedent estate costs $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, which is based on the value of estate assets.
Can I look up a Menominee probate case online?
Menominee County publishes no online case lookup for probate matters. To ask about an estate file, call the probate court at (906) 863-2634.
Can I pay Menominee probate fees online?
Yes, if you have an open case and the information the payment page asks for. Menominee publishes an online payment link for fines, costs and fees, and it asks for the case name and case number.
Will my Menominee County probate hearing be remote?
No local remote-hearing page is published. Under MCR 5.140, uncontested decedent estate petitions and motions are presumed eligible for videoconferencing, but the court decides the manner of appearance under MCR 2.407 and gives the access instructions for the case.
Do I have to travel to Menominee to open an estate?
Not always, but Menominee County Probate Court is not on MiFILE and no direct probate email address is published. If you live away from Menominee, call (906) 863-2634 before mailing papers or planning travel, and consider using Sunset to connect with local counsel.
Which small-estate option uses Menominee's local packet?
Menominee's Petition and Order for Assignment Packet is for assignment of property under MCL 700.3982. For a 2026 death, the statewide assignment of property and transfer by affidavit figure is $53,000 under MCL 700.3982 and MCL 700.3983, but the year of death controls the current dollar amount.
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.