The Estate Planning Guide Est. 2026

Michigan Probate Fee Sheet (Printable)

By The Estate Planning Guide Editorial Team Researched against primary sources

Published August 15, 2026 Updated September 27, 2026 6 min read

Quick answer

Michigan does not set attorney or executor fees by statute — both are paid 'reasonable compensation.' What's unique to Michigan is a mandatory probate inventory fee under MCL 600.871, calculated on the sliding scale in MCL 600.871(1): (g) $362.50 plus 1/8 of 1% of the amount over $100,000 for estates of $100,000 to $500,000; (h) $62.50 for each additional $100,000 over $500,000; (i) $31.25 for each additional $100,000 over $1,000,000 — so $362.50 at $100,000, $862.50 at $500,000 and $1,175 at $1,000,000. Attorney fees are not set by statute in Michigan. We found no published source for what probate costs in total in Michigan as of September 2026; the ranges that are published come from law firms and from sites paid to refer customers to them.

⚠️ Educational information only — not legal, tax, or financial advice.

The figures on this page are general estimates. Laws, fees, thresholds, and prices differ by state and change often, and your own situation may change the result. Before you act, confirm the current numbers and rules for Michigan with a licensed professional — an attorney, tax advisor, or licensed agent as appropriate. Reading this page does not create a professional relationship.

This page is built to print. Use your browser's Print command and choose "Save as PDF" for a one-page Michigan reference. Every figure below is compiled from the statutes and state authorities listed at the bottom — the same sources cited on our Michigan probate pages.

Michigan probate fees

Item Michigan
Court filing fee Typical fees: ~$175 to file an application/petition to open a decedent estate, plus $12 per Letters of Authority (~$187 to open); $23 for most subsequent filings; publication of Notice to Creditors usually $100–$200; plus the MCL 600.871 inventory fee scaled to estate value.
Attorney fees No statutory schedule. Attorneys for the personal representative are entitled to 'reasonable compensation' (MCL 700.3715(w), 700.3721), typically billed hourly or as agreed; the probate court can review reasonableness on objection.
Executor / personal representative fees Under MCL 700.3719, a personal representative is entitled to 'reasonable compensation' for services performed — Michigan has no statutory percentage. The PR may pay their own compensation periodically without prior court approval, but if the PR is an attorney, contemporaneous time records are required. Interested persons can challenge fees as unreasonable.
Fee basis reasonable
Appraisal / referee Michigan does not use a state-appointed probate referee/appraiser. The personal representative prepares and files the inventory, hiring private appraisers as needed for real estate or unique assets.

Worked example

Michigan uses a "reasonable" standard, so compensation is set on the work actually performed, must be justified, and can be contested by heirs. No published source is cited here for what a reasonable fee works out to on an estate of a given size.

Michigan thresholds and deadlines

Item Michigan
Small-estate threshold MCL 700.3982 sets the 'Petition and Order for Assignment' small-estate threshold on the gross estate after funeral and burial expenses. The statutory base is $50,000, set by 2024 PA 1, and MCL 700.1210 adjusts it annually. The adjusted amount in force for the current year is not stated here: Michigan's own statute site could not be read from this environment, and the annual figure is published by the State Court Administrative Office rather than carried in the section. A separate Transfer by Affidavit procedure under MCL 700.3983 uses the same threshold and is available 28 days after death.
Creditor claim period Four months after the date of publication of the notice to creditors, where notice is given in compliance with MCL 700.3801 or 700.7608 (MCL 700.3803(1)(a)). For a creditor known to the personal representative at the time of publication or during the four months after it, the period is the later of those four months or one month after the notice is subsequently sent to that creditor (§700.3803(1)(b)) — so a creditor notified late runs on the one-month leg, which can end after the four months has already closed. Where notice is not given, the claim is barred three years after the decedent's death (§700.3803(1)(c)). A claim already barred at the decedent's domicile before publication in Michigan is barred here too, and §700.3803(3) exempts proceedings to enforce a mortgage, pledge or other lien on estate property and claims to the extent of liability insurance.
Statutory floor (creditor period) Four months after the date of publication of the notice to creditors, where notice is given in compliance with MCL 700.3801 or 700.7608 (MCL 700.3803(1)(a)). For a creditor known to the personal representative at the time of publication or during the four months after it, the period is the later of those four months or one month after the notice is subsequently sent to that creditor (§700.3803(1)(b)) — so a creditor notified late runs on the one-month leg, which can end after the four months has already closed. Where notice is not given, the claim is barred three years after the decedent's death (§700.3803(1)(c)). A claim already barred at the decedent's domicile before publication in Michigan is barred here too, and §700.3803(3) exempts proceedings to enforce a mortgage, pledge or other lien on estate property and claims to the extent of liability insurance.
Simplified real-property transfer Michigan does not have a statutory transfer-on-death deed, but Lady Bird (enhanced life estate) deeds are widely recognized and routinely used to pass real estate at death outside probate while preserving the owner's lifetime control. Summary administration is also available when estate assets don't exceed allowances, exempt property, costs of administration, funeral, and last-illness medical expenses (MCL 700.3987).
Transfer-on-death deed Michigan does NOT have a statutory transfer-on-death deed for real estate, but Michigan courts widely recognize Lady Bird (enhanced life estate) deeds, which serve a nearly identical function. The owner records a deed reserving a life estate with full lifetime control; on death, the property passes to the named remainder beneficiary outside probate.
Note on the creditor-claim clock. The period above does not start on the same event in every state — depending on the statute it can run from the date of death, from the date letters are issued to the personal representative, or from first publication of notice. The Michigan trigger is stated in the row above, as written in the statute.

What passes outside Michigan probate

These transfers are not part of the estate the fees above are calculated on:

  • Beneficiary designations — retirement accounts, life insurance, payable-on-death accounts.
  • Joint ownership with right of survivorship.
  • Transfer-on-death deed — Michigan does NOT have a statutory transfer-on-death deed for real estate, but Michigan courts widely recognize Lady Bird (enhanced life estate) deeds, which serve a nearly identical function. The owner records a deed reserving a life estate with full lifetime control; on death, the property passes to the named remainder beneficiary outside probate.
  • Assets titled into a funded living trust.

Sources for this sheet

Compiled August 15, 2026 from the sources listed above. Fee schedules, thresholds, and court costs are amended by legislatures and courts — confirm each figure against the cited statute or the Michigan court before relying on it.

The full Michigan guides

Fee sheets for other states

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This sheet sets out Michigan probate figures as published at the time of compilation. It is not legal advice. Figures and statutes change and their application depends on the specific estate. Confirm current figures with the Michigan courts or a licensed Michigan attorney.

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