Benzie County Circuit Court cases in Benzie County, Beulah, MI
Benzie County Probate Court in Beulah, MI is a county-level probate court. It oversees matters involving decedents' estates and trusts (probating wills, appointing personal representatives, supervising fiduciaries), guardianships and conservatorships for minors and adults, protective proceedings, and involuntary mental health treatment/commitment petitions under Michigan law. The court's role is to administer estate and protective matters, issue letters of authority, approve accounts and distributions, and resolve related petitions and contests. It does not handle general criminal, traffic, landlord-tenant, or general civil lawsuits, which are heard in the district or circuit courts serving Benzie County.
Benzie County Circuit Court Contact and Location Information
Services and Case Types Handled in Benzie County Circuit Court
Benzie County Probate Court serves the public by processing and adjudicating:
- Decedent estates: wills, intestate estates, small-estate procedures; issuing Letters of Authority and related orders.
- Trust matters within probate jurisdiction.
- Guardianships and conservatorships for adults and minors, including appointments, accountings, reviews, and removals.
- Mental health proceedings: petitions for involuntary treatment/commitment under the Mental Health Code.
- Protective proceedings/orders to safeguard the property of minors or individuals unable to manage their affairs, including appointment of special fiduciaries.
Core services include:
- Case filings (petitions, inventories, claims, annual accounts) and docket management.
- Scheduling and conducting hearings (ex parte, status, review, and contested matters).
- Jury services for probate trials (juror summons, orientation, and management).
- Issuing certified copies and court letters; maintaining records and providing public access to case information and forms (nonlegal assistance).