Find Oakland County Probate Records

What the Oakland County Probate Court Handles

The Oakland County Probate Court hears decedent estates, wills, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships, mental health matters, and developmentally disabled matters. The court's official Probate Court page lists those case areas. The court office sits at 1200 N Telegraph Rd, Dept 457, Pontiac, MI 48341. Phone is 248-858-0260, and hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Current judges listed in the court's navigation are Hon. Jennifer S. Callaghan, Hon. Nicole S. Huddleston, Hon. Daniel A. O'Brien, and Hon. Traci Richards.

That state Judicial Branch page from michigan.gov describes Michigan's three trial-court tiers, including Probate Court, and confirms Probate's role as a separate trial court. Probate Court is distinct from Circuit Court even though both sit on the same Pontiac campus.

Probate eFiling Through MiFILE

As of June 12, 2025, all filers submitting documents with the Oakland County Probate Court are required to e-file under Michigan Court Rule 1.109(G)(3)(f). The Probate Court page says it no longer accepts filings in person, by fax, or by mail with limited exceptions. The exceptions are Emergency Mental Health Transport Petitions, Petitions and Orders for Assignment, Deposit of Original Wills, and Payment of the Inventory Gross Estate Fee. Those four categories may be made in person and/or by mail.

MiFILE account creation is free. The Probate Court runs an eFile Center for public use for people who cannot file from home or a private office. The Court Explorer portal that hosts probate case lookups continues to run for read access, even with all new filings going through MiFILE.

The Michigan Courts page at courts.michigan.gov links each trial court level, including Probate, with links into MiFILE and SCAO form sets. Oakland County Probate Court uses both the statewide SCAO forms and a small set of Oakland-only forms.

Searching Probate Records by Case Number

For an Oakland County probate records search through Court Explorer, the only direct search option is the exact case number. The Court Explorer user guide says the Case Number Look Up icon transfers the user to the Michigan Courts website for a party-name lookup if the case number is unknown. After entering the exact probate case number in Court Explorer, the screen displays the Case Summary and Available Documents.

Probate Fees and Waivers

The Probate Court fee schedule is on the Probate Fees and Waivers page. The court accepts cash; check made out to Oakland County Probate Court; Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover; and money orders. Cash should not be mailed. Fee Waiver Requests (SCAO form MC 20) can be submitted by email to the corresponding probate unit. The court also says the Legal News publishing fee is $116.95 as of March 1, 2025, and exact fees are calculated at the time of the transaction.

For matters with fee waiver questions, the Probate units use department email boxes by case type: ProbateDD@Oakgov.com for developmentally disabled, ProbateDE@Oakgov.com for deceased estates, ProbateGC@Oakgov.com for guardianships and conservatorships, and ProbateMI@Oakgov.com for mental health.

Estates, Wills, Trusts, and Guardianships

Oakland County Probate Court breaks its work into a few major case categories. Decedent estates include both informal and formal probate proceedings. Wills are admitted to probate as part of the estate case, with the named personal representative seeking Letters of Authority. Trusts may be administered without court supervision, but trust disputes and trust accountings can land in Probate Court when contested. Small estates use a shortened procedure under Michigan law.

Guardianship and conservatorship cases protect minors or incapacitated adults. The guardian makes care decisions; the conservator manages money and property. Mental health and developmentally disabled cases move through Probate Court under separate confidentiality rules.

Testator

The person who wrote a will and whose estate is governed by that will.

Executor or Personal Representative

The person named in a will or appointed by the court to settle the estate.

Intestate

Dying without a valid will, which triggers Michigan's intestate succession rules.

Guardian

A person appointed to make personal and care decisions for a minor or incapacitated adult.

Conservator

A person appointed to manage the finances of a minor or incapacitated adult.

Letters of Authority

The court order that allows a personal representative, guardian, or conservator to act for the protected person or estate.

Mental Health Records Are Restricted

Michigan Mental Health Code confidentiality rules limit access to mental health information. MCL 330.1748 sets the basic confidentiality structure. Oakland County Probate Court handles mental health matters, but Probate Mental Health records are not available through Court Explorer. The Clerk's Court Explorer page lists Probate Mental Health alongside Personal Protection Orders and juvenile records as local exclusions from the public portal.

Access to a Probate Mental Health file generally requires party status, statutory authorization, or a court order. People who need access for treatment, advocacy, or legal representation should contact the Probate Court mental health unit at ProbateMI@Oakgov.com to confirm the process.

Ordering Probate Documents

Court Explorer's Probate workflow uses an Available Documents screen instead of the Circuit Court Register of Actions. After the user enters the exact probate case number and clicks Search, Court Explorer shows a Case Summary and an Available Documents list. Each document carries an Order Document link. Online ordering follows the same fee structure as Circuit Court: $1.00 per plain copy page and $10.00 per case number plus $1.00 per page for certified copies. Online orders also carry a 3.5% credit-card service fee or a $2.50 ACH fee.

Certified probate documents must be mailed; certified copies cannot be emailed. Plain copies may be delivered by mail or email when a valid email address is provided. Orders are manually processed during regular business hours and typically fulfilled within two business days. For specific Probate Court order questions, the office uses probatecourtexplorer@oakgov.com.

Michigan Court Rule 8.119, shown above, governs court records and clerk duties, including how sealed and nonpublic case designations work and how a party can seek a court order to limit public access.

Probate Hearing Format

Probate hearings may be in person or remote, depending on the matter and the assigned judge. The Probate Court page tells parties to check the Notice of Hearing. If the hearing is not at the courthouse, the notice will include the assigned judge's remote hearing information. Each judge also posts a hearing protocol on the court website. The court also notes a current Legionella update on its public page stating that the facility remains open and periodic testing continues under Oakland County Health Department and state guidelines.

By court order, weapons and cutting instruments are not permitted inside Probate Court. The campus security rules at 1200 North Telegraph Road apply to the Probate Court entrance as well. For people who need accessibility help, the courts maintain an ADA Accommodations page.

Appeals From Probate Court

Appeals from Oakland County Probate Court generally route to the 6th Circuit Court or, for certain matters, directly to the Michigan Court of Appeals. The Michigan Court of Appeals is the state's intermediate appellate court. The Michigan Supreme Court is the court of last resort for discretionary review.

The Michigan Court of Appeals page handles direct probate appeals on issues such as fiduciary duties, trust contests, and certain guardianship and conservatorship orders. For most probate appeals, an attorney experienced in probate appellate work is the right starting point because appellate procedure has tight deadlines and formal record requirements.

Related Oakland County Resources

For marriage records and divorce filings, see marriage and divorce records. For the county Clerk's office and Vital Records, see County Clerk and Register of Deeds. For full Circuit Court case search through Court Explorer, see court records. For FOIA-style requests on county administrative files, see public records.