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Van Buren County, MI Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Van Buren detail |
|---|---|
| Court | Van Buren County Probate Court |
| Courthouse address | Van Buren County Courthouse Annex, second floor, 212 E. Paw Paw Street, Suite 220, Paw Paw, MI 49079 |
| Mailing address | Probate Court, 212 Paw Paw Street, Suite 220, Paw Paw, MI 49079 |
| Phone | (269) 657-8225 |
| Fax | (269) 657-7573 |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | The probate counter does not publish separate counter hours. Call (269) 657-8225 before travelling to Paw Paw. |
| Filing fee | As of August 2026, opening a decedent estate costs $175.00 (MCL 600.880, 600.1986), plus the inventory fee under MCL 600.871. As of August 2026, a petition for assignment of property costs $25.00 under MCL 600.880, plus any inventory fee. |
| Local forms | Yes. The court publishes estate packets and filing instruction sheets for small estates, affidavit transfers, full deceased estates and reopening an estate. |
| E-filing status | Van Buren County Probate Court is not on MiFILE. Estate papers are handled through the probate register in Paw Paw or by mail unless the court tells you otherwise. |
| Case search | The county courts page links a probate case search for court code P80 through MiCOURT Case Search: https://micourt.courts.michigan.gov/case-search/court/P80 |
| Remote appearance | The court publishes a probate Zoom virtual room and says participants receive Zoom instructions before the hearing. Use the court's virtual court page for current join information. |
| Website | https://vanburencountymi.gov/departments/county-courts/courts/probate-court/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before choosing a Van Buren County filing path, make a list of the decedent's accounts, real estate, vehicles, debts, funeral expenses and beneficiary designations. The right Michigan route depends on what actually needs Probate Court authority, not just whether the person lived in Van Buren County.
Sunset's estate settlement tools can search across more than 2,300 institutions for accounts and assets, then help you turn that asset picture into the packet you bring or mail to Suite 220 in Paw Paw.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Van Buren County Probate Court is the Probate Court for estates in Van Buren County. It is a standalone county probate court, not a two-county probate district. The probate counter is at the Van Buren County Courthouse Annex in Paw Paw.
Venue for the first informal or formal probate proceeding 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). For a Van Buren County resident, that means the estate is opened in Paw Paw. A reader in South Haven, Bangor, Hartford, Decatur, Lawton, Mattawan, Gobles, Bloomingdale, Breedsville, Lawrence or Paw Paw still uses the Paw Paw probate counter, not the South Haven district court location.
The jurisdiction process
- Inventory the assets and debts first. Identify probate assets, nonprobate transfers, funeral expenses, real estate, creditors and the people entitled to notice.
- Choose the Michigan path that fits the assets. Van Buren's forms page has packets for assignment of property, transfer by affidavit, a full deceased estate and reopening an estate. For a 2026 death, the small-estate amount is $53,000 (MCL 700.3982, 700.3983), and the amount is tied to the year of death.
- Download the Van Buren County packet for the path you are using. The court's packets combine statewide SCAO forms with local filing instruction sheets. For an assignment of property, the court's checklist includes PC 556, MC 97, PC 565, a photocopy of the death certificate, the itemized funeral bill with payment history, the filing fee and the inventory fee.
- File with the probate register in Suite 220 at the Van Buren County Courthouse Annex, 212 E. Paw Paw Street, Paw Paw, MI 49079, or mail the papers to the same address. The court does not publish probate counter hours, so call (269) 657-8225 before travelling.
- Do not use MiFILE for a Van Buren estate. The 7th District Court in Van Buren County is on MiFILE, but Van Buren County Probate Court is not. Call the probate register if you want to ask whether the court wants anything delivered another way.
- Pay the court costs. As of August 2026, opening a decedent estate costs $175.00 (MCL 600.880, 600.1986), plus the inventory fee under MCL 600.871. The court accepts payment at the probate window, online through its payment service, by telephone or by mail, and asks that the file number or case name be included with payment.
- Give the required notices. On the informal track, the applicant gives information of the probate within 28 days after informal probate is granted (MCL 700.3306). After appointment, the personal representative publishes and sends creditor notices as required by Michigan law.
- If a hearing is set, follow the court's hearing notice and Zoom instructions. Van Buren County publishes a probate virtual room, and uncontested decedent estate petitions and motions are presumed to use videoconferencing under MCR 5.140, subject to the court's control under MCR 2.407.
- After appointment, use the letters of authority for the personal representative to collect assets, deal with institutions, sell estate property when authorized, pay allowed claims and distribute what remains.
- File the inventory information on time, pay the inventory fee and close the estate. The inventory information is due within 91 days after letters of authority (MCR 5.307). An unsupervised estate may close by sworn statement no earlier than 5 months after the original appointment if the statutory requirements are met (MCL 700.3954).
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Van Buren County
Van Buren County Probate Court publishes its own estate packets and filing instruction sheets. Use the court's forms page first because it shows what this counter expects for an assignment of property, an affidavit of decedent's successor, a full deceased estate and a reopening.
| Local packet or form | What it is for | Local note |
|---|---|---|
| Small estate packet | Assignment of property using PC 556 | The court's checklist asks for PC 556, MC 97, PC 565, a photocopy of the death certificate, the itemized funeral bill, payment history, receipts showing who paid, the filing fee and the inventory fee. |
| Affidavit of decedent's successor packet | Transfer by affidavit using PC 598 | The court's instruction sheet says this form is taken to the bank or credit union with a photocopy of the death certificate and does not get filed with the Probate Court. |
| Deceased estate packet | Opening a full estate | The packet assembles statewide SCAO forms for informal and formal probate, including PC 558, PC 559, PC 565, PC 568, PC 571, MC 97 and MC 97a. |
| Reopening an estate packet | Reopening a closed Van Buren County estate | The local instruction sheet lists the forms to file in the original estate file and recommends consulting an attorney, especially when real estate is involved. |
| Statewide SCAO forms index | Michigan probate forms | Van Buren's packets are built from the statewide SCAO form set. The statewide forms index is at https://www.courts.michigan.gov/SCAO-forms/Estates-Trusts/ |
Local nuance
Van Buren County-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Probate is in Paw Paw only | Van Buren County has a district court location in South Haven, but estates are opened only at the Probate Court counter in Suite 220 of the Courthouse Annex in Paw Paw. |
| MiFILE trap | The 7th District Court in Van Buren County is on MiFILE, but Van Buren County Probate Court is not. Do not use the district court's MiFILE listing for an estate. |
| Local estate packets | The court publishes its own instruction sheets and packets, including a small-estate packet, affidavit packet, deceased-estate packet and reopening packet. |
| Inventory fee help | The court's small-estate instructions invite filers to call (269) 657-8225 or email [email protected] for help calculating the inventory fee. |
| Transfer by affidavit is not filed | The court's affidavit packet says the affidavit of decedent's successor is taken to the bank or credit union and does not get filed with the Probate Court. |
| Published Zoom room | The court publishes a standing probate virtual room and sends Zoom instructions before hearings. |
| Published payment options | The court lists payment at the probate window, online card payment, telephone card payment and payment by mail. Card payments carry the payment service's added service fee. |
| Hours are not posted | The probate counter does not publish separate counter hours. Call before driving to Paw Paw. |
Recent updates
| Update | What changed | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Estate packets | The court reissued its estate packets and filing instruction sheets in August 2025. | Van Buren County Probate Court forms page |
| Court website | The current probate court page is on vanburencountymi.gov. | Van Buren County Probate Court website |
Check the court's forms page before filing because packet dates and payment instructions can change.
Page last reviewed: August 2026.Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Van Buren path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by separating jointly owned assets and beneficiary assets from anything that needs Probate Court authority. If a Van Buren estate must be opened, use the Paw Paw probate counter and ask the probate register which packet fits the remaining assets. | Sunset helps identify accounts, title issues and missing assets before the spouse spends time at the courthouse. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | If the estate fits Michigan's small-estate rules for the year of death, use Van Buren's small-estate packet for assignment of property or the affidavit packet for transfer by affidavit when that path fits. The affidavit packet is not filed with the Probate Court. | Sunset can organize the asset list, generate the packet and help the child avoid using MiFILE for a Van Buren probate filing. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A home sale usually points toward full administration and letters of authority for the personal representative. File in Paw Paw if venue is in Van Buren County, and consider counsel because the court's own reopening instructions recommend an attorney especially when real estate is involved. | Sunset helps gather asset information, prepare the probate packet and connect the parent with a vetted Michigan probate attorney. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact or link |
|---|---|---|
| Van Buren County Probate Court | The probate counter for opening a Van Buren County estate and asking how the court wants a filing delivered. | 212 E. Paw Paw Street, Suite 220, Paw Paw, MI 49079. (269) 657-8225. [email protected]. https://vanburencountymi.gov/departments/county-courts/courts/probate-court/ |
| Van Buren County probate forms and packets | Local estate packets and filing instruction sheets for small estates, affidavit transfers, full deceased estates and reopening. | https://vanburencountymi.gov/departments/county-courts/courts/probate-court/forms-for-your-use/ |
| Van Buren County case search and calendars | Links to the probate case search for this court, dockets by judicial officer and the Paw Paw court calendar. | https://vanburencountymi.gov/departments/county-courts/administration/case-information-calendars/ |
| Van Buren County virtual court information | Current instructions for joining the court's virtual rooms by browser, Zoom app or telephone. | https://vanburencountymi.gov/207/Virtual-Court-Information |
| Van Buren County court payments | Payment methods, drop box information, online and telephone payment instructions and card service-fee schedule. | https://vanburencountymi.gov/200/Court-Payments |
| Michigan Trial Court Directory | State judiciary directory entry for the Van Buren County Probate Court address and phone. | https://www.courts.michigan.gov/trial-court-directory/ |
| SCAO estates, trusts and miscellaneous probate forms | Statewide probate forms used in Van Buren County packets. | https://www.courts.michigan.gov/SCAO-forms/Estates-Trusts/ |
| Inventory fee calculator | Michigan Judiciary tool for calculating the inventory fee under MCL 600.871. | https://www.courts.michigan.gov/courts/trial-courts/inventory-calculator/ |
| Michigan Legal Help | Plain-language Michigan probate information and guided tools, including small-estate and probate topics. | https://michiganlegalhelp.org/ |
| Legal Aid of Western Michigan, Kalamazoo office | Free civil legal help for eligible residents of Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph and Van Buren counties. Ask at intake whether an estate question fits its services. | 141 E. Michigan Ave., Suite 400, Kalamazoo, MI 49007. (269) 344-8113. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. https://www.lawestmi.org/kalamazoo/ |
When to hire an attorney
A probate attorney is especially useful in Van Buren County when real property must be sold or title must be cleared through the estate, the estate is too large for the small-estate paths, heirs disagree, a will is challenged, creditors are pressing claims, the personal representative lives outside Michigan or the matter needs a judge rather than the probate register. The court's own reopening instructions recommend consulting an attorney, especially if real estate is involved. 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 to help identify bank accounts, investments, insurance, retirement accounts and other assets that may affect the Van Buren County estate settlement plan.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset uses the asset picture and family information to help assemble the Michigan probate forms and Van Buren County packet for the path you choose, including the information the Paw Paw probate counter expects.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate involves a home sale, a dispute, creditor pressure or a formal hearing, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Michigan probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset helps families organize estate settlement tasks, find assets and move from uncertainty to a concrete next step without charging the family for the platform.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Van Buren County?
File with Van Buren County Probate Court at the Van Buren County Courthouse Annex, second floor, 212 E. Paw Paw Street, Suite 220, Paw Paw, MI 49079. The probate counter is in Paw Paw only.
Can I file a Van Buren County probate case through MiFILE?
No. Van Buren County Probate Court is not on MiFILE. The Van Buren County 7th District Court appears on MiFILE, but that is not the probate court and it is not where you open an estate.
Does Van Buren County have local probate forms?
Yes. The court publishes local estate packets and instruction sheets for a small estate, an affidavit of decedent's successor, a full deceased estate and reopening an estate. Those packets use statewide SCAO forms with Van Buren instructions.
How much does it cost to open an estate in Van Buren County?
As of August 2026, opening a decedent estate costs $175.00 (MCL 600.880, 600.1986), plus the inventory fee under MCL 600.871. As of August 2026, a petition for assignment of property costs $25.00 under MCL 600.880, plus any inventory fee.
Will the Van Buren County Probate Court calculate the inventory fee for me?
The court's small-estate instructions say you can contact the Probate Court at [email protected] or (269) 657-8225 for calculation of the amount due. You can also use the Michigan Judiciary's inventory fee calculator.
Can I look up a Van Buren County probate case online?
The county courts page links a probate case search for Van Buren County Probate Court through MiCOURT Case Search. Use the court's case information and calendars page, and call the probate register at (269) 657-8225 if you need help checking a file.
Are Van Buren County probate hearings on Zoom?
The court publishes a probate Zoom virtual room and says participants receive Zoom instructions before the hearing. The court can still decide how a particular hearing will be held, so follow the notice you receive and call (269) 657-8225 if you need help with the probate virtual room.
Do I have to travel to Paw Paw if I live in South Haven?
For filing, use the Paw Paw probate counter or mail the papers to the Paw Paw address. Van Buren County has a district court location in South Haven, but estates are opened through the Probate Court in Paw Paw.
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.