HOME Commissioners Departments... Services Documents Forms Projects Links			PROBATE COURT Contact Information Phone: Toll Free:    FAX: 231-882-9675 800-315-9852 231-882-5987 Personnel   Judge of Probate - Honorable Nancy A. Kida Probate Register / Court Administrator - Kimberly D. Ireton Note   Our office solely operates under one full-time employee who is the Register, Administrator, and Licensed Court Recorder. Please call ahead to schedule a time for consultation. Location / Address Upper Level Government Center 448 Court Place Beulah, MI 49617 Office Hours   Monday — Friday 8:30 a.m. to noon 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (excluding major holidays) Services Offered Appointment of conservatorships Appointment of guardianships Commitment of mentally ill Probate of estates Trust supervision Description Probate Court is divided into three major areas: The probate of estates and supervision of trusts; Guardianships and Conservatorships; and Commitment of Mentally Ill. Probate Court also has jurisdiction regarding secret marriages, drain proceedings, kidney donations, delayed registration of birth, missing person proceedings, marriage ceremonies, and establishing death of disaster victims. Estates & Trusts Probate is a procedure for transferring title of the decedent's property to the persons entitled to it. Many people believe that by having a Will they will avoid probate. While a Will may make probate easier, there still must be disposition through probate of those items titled in the decedent's name alone. A living trust can avoid probate if all the decedent's assets are owned by the trust. Upon death, title to those assets pass according to the terms of the trust without the need of probate. Probate court also oversees safekeeping of wills. Appointment of guardianships & conservatorships A guardian is a person who makes personal decisions for the ward. A guardian is responsible for the care and control of a ward. A conservator makes decisions concerning the finances of the ward. Types of guardians and conservators appointed by the probate court include Full or Limited Guardian of a Minor, Conservator of an Adult or Minor, Protective Orders, Full or Limited Guardian of an Adult (legally incapacitated or developmentally disabled). Commitment of Mentally Ill Probate Court is responsible for the involuntary commitment of the mentally ill. It has jurisdiction over any person who is a resident of the court's county or who is found in that county. The court must determine if the person is mentally ill and if that person also meets the requirements that the person is either dangerous to themselves, dangerous to others or unable to take care of basic physical needs. After the probate Court determines that an individual is a person requiring treatment, it must determine the duration and kind of treatment within the statutory requirements. NOTE: The court is happy to provide you with forms and routine information regarding filing but court personnel are restricted by law from giving legal advice. Fees Probate Court fees vary. Please contact our office for specific filing fees. Forms Probate forms are available at this site: Michigan Courts -- One Court of Justice Related Web Links MapQuest - Maps, directions, and more Michigan's "One Court of Justice" site Michigan Association of Counties State of Michigan [ Top Of Page ] Note: To view the PDF documents on this page, Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed. If you do not already have it, you can get it free from Adobe. Once installed, simply clicking on the link will bring up the document. Note however that the document will first be transferred to your computer, which can take a while for large documents and/or if you have a slow connection.
Last Revised: 6-27-2007 Four outdoor photos in header© Copyright Captured Moments Photography © Copyright 2005-2007 by Benzie County Government and ATI Consulting. All Rights Reserved.