The State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) is the administrative agency of the Michigan Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has administrative oversight of Michigan's courts and exercises that oversight through the SCAO. It is responsible for developing, maintaining, and providing standardized court forms for use in Michigan's trial courts. These forms are used by court clerks, judges, [...]
Will Chat GPT and artificial intelligence change the world of probate? Who better to ask that Chat GPT itself! Let's see how Chat GPT responds to The Probate Pro interviewing it about the future of probate law and artificial intelligence. The Probate Pro Question: Can Chat GPT help me with my probate case? Chat GPT [...]
Must I go to probate? Maybe not. Not all property in which the decedent has an interest requires probate. Assuming no probate estate is opened and there is no plan to open a probate estate, there are types of property which can pass to a new owner on death without going through the probate process. [...]
The probate court is a fascinating place to work as a lawyer. Each case filed in the probate court tells a unique story of that person’s life, assets, debts, and family relations. As the leading probate administration firm, The Probate Pro feels tremendous respect for the families that it has the privilege to represent. Let’s [...]
The Probate Pro provides this Probate FAQ to assist people with basic questions. This probate FAQ, glossary and the definitions, terms and videos provided are for information purposes only, and are not intended to and shall not be used as legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed. You use the content, information, and services on [...]
Informal probate proceedings begin by the filing of an Application for Informal Probate directed to the probate court register. The application may request informal probate (informal admission of a will) or appointment of a personal representative, or both. An informal proceedings for probate of a will or appointment of a personal representative is conducted by [...]
Death certificates in Michigan are an official, legal document which performs a variety of roles. It states when a person died, declares the date and location of death, and the cause of a person's death. Interestingly, the use of death certificates did not become a standard model for confirming deaths in the United States until [...]
Being a fiduciary is a huge responsibility. When you serve as a fiduciary (personal representative, guardian, conservator or trustee) it is important to follow all of the requisite statutes and court rules. The fiduciary is expected to complete his or her duties within a reasonable period of time and within the timelines set forth by [...]
When you take on the important role of serving as a Conservator on behalf of another person one of the required responsibilities is to account for the finances. Michigan statute MCL 700.5418 provides that a conservator shall account to the court for administration not less than annually unless the court directs otherwise, upon resignation or [...]
Michigan’s Notice statute MCL 700.1401 provides the method, manner, and time for providing Notice of Hearing in Michigan probate matters. And, Michigan court rule MCR 5.125 identifies the interested parties depending on the nature and type of the probate court filing. The Notice of Hearing is a State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) form, which can [...]
