What Probate Covers in Mackinac County
Probate is the court process for wills, estates, and the care of people who cannot manage their own affairs. In Mackinac County, the 6th District Probate Court handles deceased persons' estates, appointment of a personal representative, guardianships, conservatorships, adoptions, and name changes. It also has mental-health jurisdiction, though those matters are restricted.
Probate is separate from the County Clerk and the Circuit Court. Estate files go through the Probate Court, not the clerk's vital-record counter, even though both sit in the same courthouse. That separation matters when someone is deciding where to file or where to request a copy.
The court's own materials welcome users to the Mackinac County Probate and Family Court, a nod to the overlap between probate and family history in this county. For most people, though, probate means one of a few things: settling the estate of someone who died, seeking authority to care for a relative who cannot manage alone, or handling a name change or adoption. Each of those follows its own forms and fees at the same first-floor counter.
Probate Terms Defined
Probate paperwork uses words that rarely come up elsewhere. A short glossary helps a first-time filer read a notice or a form without guessing.
- Testator
- The person who made a will.
- Personal representative
- The person appointed to carry out a will and settle an estate, sometimes called an executor.
- Intestate
- Dying without a valid will, which sends the estate through state rules of inheritance.
- Guardianship
- Court authority over the personal decisions of someone who cannot make them alone.
- Conservatorship
- Court authority to manage the finances of a protected person.
How to Search Mackinac County Probate Records
Probate cases may appear in MiCOURT Case Search when the court's data is available, but coverage depends on the case and the court. When online search comes up short, the Probate Court counter is the reliable path.
- Try MiCOURT Case Search and select the probate path if Mackinac County probate data is available.
- If nothing appears, call the 6th District Probate Court at (906) 643-7303 or visit the first-floor counter.
- For a certified copy of a probate order, request it from the Probate Court, which lists a certified order copy fee.
Older probate files may need extra routing, since family and juvenile history once overlapped with probate before the Family Division took over those matters.
6th District Probate Court in Mackinac County
The 6th District Probate Court welcomes users as the Mackinac County Probate and Family Court. It handles the county's estate and guardianship work from the first floor of the courthouse, and its counter is where forms, filings, and certified copies are handled.
6th District Probate Court
100 S. Marley Street, First Floor
St. Ignace, MI 49781
(906) 643-7303
Call to confirm counter hours
Estates and Informal Probate
When someone dies, an estate may need to be opened so debts and property can be handled. In Mackinac County, informal probate begins by filing Application PC558 for Informal Probate and Appointment of Personal Representative. The court lists a filing fee of $25, an inventory fee based on the value of the assets, and a certified copy of an order at $11.
One local detail is easy to miss. The county says probate estate forms must be typed, so a handwritten form may be rejected or delayed. Preparing typed paperwork before the trip to St. Ignace keeps the filing moving.
The official deceased persons estates page lists the PC558 process and the estate fees.
An estate file can hold the application, the will, notices, an inventory, letters of authority, accountings, and closing papers.
Guardianships and Conservatorships in Mackinac County
The Probate Court can appoint a guardian for an adult who cannot make or communicate informed decisions because of mental illness, disability, chronic drug use, or another cause. A full guardian makes all decisions, including treatment and residence, while a limited guardian handles only the decisions set out in the court order.
A temporary guardian may be named in a true emergency, such as the need for immediate medical treatment, and the county warns this is not simply a way to authorize a nursing-home move. Every case begins with a petition and a $150 filing fee. A guardian ad litem is appointed to visit the person, explain the proceedings, and make recommendations, and a hearing follows notice to close family.
The adult guardianship page defines the process and the roles.
Guardianship records can include the petition, reports, the order appointing a guardian, and later annual or modification filings.
Name Changes in Mackinac County
Name changes are handled at the Probate Court, and the office provides the forms and instructions. The filing fee is $187, and it carries an easy-to-miss detail worth repeating.
The check is payable to Mackinac County Circuit Court, not to the Probate Court or the County Clerk, even though the forms come from Probate. Getting the payee right the first time avoids a rejected filing. Some name changes, especially those involving minors or safety concerns, may receive restricted handling.
The name change page lists the fee, the phone number, and the courthouse location.
Because the payee is unusual, callers should confirm current payment rules before writing the check.
Adoptions and Restricted Probate Records
Adoptions in Mackinac County are handled at the Probate Court, and the office provides forms and instructions. Adoption records are confidential, so the public cannot search them the way an estate case might be viewed. Eligible parties should contact the court directly rather than expect an online lookup.
Other probate matters carry limits too. Mental-health commitment records contain medical information and are restricted, and some guardianship details are nonpublic. Personal identifiers may be redacted even in files that are otherwise open.
The adoptions page confirms that Mackinac County adoptions run through the Probate Court.
For related family and vital records, the county marriage and divorce records page covers the clerk and circuit sides.
Mackinac County Probate Filing Fees
Probate fees vary by the type of filing, and a few are set by official county pages. The table gathers the amounts that Mackinac County sources state, with a note where a fee depends on asset value.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Informal probate estate filing | $25 |
| Inventory fee | Based on the value of assets |
| Certified copy of an order | $11 |
| Adult guardianship petition | $150 |
| Name change | $187, payable to Mackinac County Circuit Court |
Adoption fees were not published in accessible official text, so confirm those with the Probate Court.
What Mackinac County Probate Records Show
Probate records vary by the type of case, but each kind follows a recognizable shape. An estate file tracks the property and the person handling it, while a guardianship file tracks the protected person and the guardian's authority.
An estate record can hold the application or petition, the will, death information, a list of heirs and devisees, proof of service, letters of authority, an inventory, accountings, orders, and closing papers. A guardianship record can include the petition, physician or visitor reports, the guardian ad litem report, the hearing notice, the order appointing a guardian, and later annual or modification orders. Conservatorship files add financial reports because a conservator manages money.
Online access may show case entries without the document images, so certified copies still come from the Probate Court counter.
The Mackinac County Public Administrator
Public administrators become relevant in probate when an estate needs a fiduciary and no suitable person is available. In 2024, the Michigan Attorney General appointed Erin K. Evashevski as Mackinac County Public Administrator, citing her experience with complex probate cases.
The appointment matters for estate records because a public administrator can step in to administer an estate that would otherwise stall. That keeps probate moving even when a family cannot or will not serve.
The Attorney General's appointment press release announced the Mackinac County role.
The state also lists the appointment on its public administration roster.
The Public Administration Division list records the Mackinac County public administrator and the year of appointment.
Between the estate counter and the public administrator, Mackinac County has a clear path for estates that need court oversight.