Value of gross estate, after payment of funeral and burial costs is $15,000 or less. 28-day waiting period.
Summary Administration
The value of the entire estate, less liens and encumbrances, does not exceed homestead allowance, family allowance, exempt property, costs of administration and reasonable expenses of last illness and funeral. Under Michigan probate code, unsupervised administration becomes the default procedure for administering an estate.
Surviving spouse procedure
If total value of vehicles is less than $60,000 and there are no other probate assets, a death certificate is only authority document needed to transfer vehicle titles.
Ancillary Probate
The personal representative who was appointed in the state where the decedent lived is known as a foreign personal representative. A foreign personal representative is the only one who can be granted the powers of a Michigan personal representative without having to open a probate estate in Michigan. A foreign personal representative must file an authenticated copy of their foreign appointment. Affidavits are available from some courts.
An estate representative can prepare and file documents. State Bar of Michigan has an on line legal self-help center. www.michbar.org/news/releases/archives05/self.help.cfm State Court Administrative Office has self-help information on their web site: http://courts.mi.gov/self-help/center/pages/default.aspx