Probate cost in Michigan
In Michigan, estates up to $53,000 can often skip full probate. For a $300,000 estate, the court fee is $763.
Michigan's small estate limit is $53,000. Above it, the estate usually goes through probate.
- Court fee to open probate source$763
- Attorney feeNo legal schedule: set by agreement or the courtset by agreement
- Executor feeNo legal schedule: set by agreement or the courtset by agreement
Probate total$763+
The total leaves out the costs shown without a number.
- Quicken WillMaker & Trust Plus sourceOne-time price for one person$149
- Yearly feeoptional yearly renewal$40
- Moving a home into the trustSet by your county recordercounty recording fee
Trust total$149+
Assets left outside the trust can still need probate.
Probate cost by estate size
| Estate value | Court fee | Attorney (law) | Executor (law) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100,000 | $763 | not set by law | not set by law | $763+ |
| $250,000 | $763 | not set by law | not set by law | $763+ |
| $500,000 | $763 | not set by law | not set by law | $763+ |
| $1,000,000 | $763 | not set by law | not set by law | $763+ |
"Not set by law" means the fee is agreed with the lawyer or set by the court, so it is not in the total. Use your own numbers.
The rules in Michigan
- Small estate limit: $53,000 (Affidavit of decedent's successor (SCAO form PC 598), MCL 700.3983). Does not cover real estate. Heirs wait 28 days after the death. Indexed. Michigan Treasury notice signed January 30, 2026, Table B: MCL 700.3983 amount for 2026 deaths is $53,000 (2023 cost-of-living factor 1.057, rounded to the nearest $1,000). It was $51,000 for 2025 deaths and $50,000 after 2024 PA 1 (effective Feb 21, 2024). Last changed for deaths on or after Jan 1, 2026. Estate must have no real property; value is net of liens. Notice read 2026-10-10 in the browser (WebFetch and curl got 403). Statute: (read from Wayback in the first pass). Source
- Simplified probate: Petition and order for assignment of a small estate, MCL 700.3982; informal (unsupervised) probate has no value limit, up to $53,000. Source
- Court fee: $763 for a $300,000 estate. Two statewide fees, both always charged. (1) $150 filing fee to start the proceeding (MCL 600.880). (2) Inventory fee on date-of-death value (MCL 600.871), due at closing or within 1 year: $100,000 to $500,000 is $362.50 plus 0.125% of the value over $100,000, so $612.50 for $300,000. Total for $300,000: $762.50. Above $500,000 add $62.50 per $100,000, and above $1M add $31.25 per $100,000. Real property debt is deducted. Statute read from Wayback in the first pass (legislature.mi.gov 403); not re-read in the v3 pass, so no bands are given. Source
- Attorney fee: No legal schedule: set by agreement or the court. No statutory schedule known. Not verified from statute text.
- Executor fee: No legal schedule: set by agreement or the court. MCL 700.3719 is reported to provide reasonable compensation. Not read.
Some Michigan rules could not be checked on a current official page. Each rule links to the source we used. Confirm with the court or a lawyer before you rely on it.
General information from official state sources, not legal advice.