Michigan executor and estate paperwork checklist

This is an organizer, not legal advice. An estate attorney or the county probate/surrogate office answers questions about your situation.

The first 30 days

Plain steps that apply wherever the person lived, with the small estate dates for this state. Ticks stay on your screen only.

1. Ask for certified death certificates, more than you thinkThe funeral director or vital records office issues them. Institutions often keep the copy you send, so plan on one each.
2. Make sure Social Security knowsFuneral homes generally report the death. If not, call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). A surviving spouse, or some children if there's no spouse, may get a one-time $255 payment.
3. Locate the signed will and any changesThe signed original matters more than a copy. Keep it whole and somewhere safe, and note who else has a copy.
4. Look at the last pages of the willA sworn statement signed by the witnesses before an officer may be attached; what this state says about it is below.
5. Keep the house and vehicles safeTell the insurer about the death so coverage stays in place, take photos of what's inside, and redirect the mail.
6. Don't pay bills or hand out belongings yetFirst learn which route fits and who is allowed to act; ask the probate office or an attorney about anything urgent.
7. Put the power of attorney awayA power of attorney ends at the principal's death. Whoever was the agent no longer signs for the person.
8. Write down every asset and debtFor each, record whose name it's in and whether a beneficiary or co-owner is listed; those usually go straight to that person.
9. Compare the estate with $53,000That's the small estate figure on this state's official page for the current period; it depends on the date of death. Count only what the page says counts.
10. Mark day 29 after the deathThe small estate route opens 29 days after the death, per the official page.
11. Start the estate ledgerRecord every dollar in and out with a receipt: funeral costs, bills paid, money collected.
12. Once you have authority: EIN and an estate accountThe IRS says you need an EIN before filing the estate's Form 1041, which is due if the estate has more than $600 of gross income in a year.

Sources for the federal steps: Social Security Administration: When someone dies · IRS: Deceased taxpayers, filing the estate income tax return (Form 1041) · power of attorney: Power of attorney at a real estate closing.

The small estate route

• ConfirmedSmall estate limit

  $50,000 adjusted each year: $53,000 for deaths in 2026, $51,000 for deaths in 2025 (Treasury notice of January 30, 2026). No real property can be in the estate.

  "does not exceed $50,000, adjusted annually as provided in MCL 700.1210"

  • By date of death: January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025: $51,000; January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026: $53,000.

  Source: Michigan Courts form PC 598, Affidavit of Decedent's Successor for Delivery of Certain Assets Owned by Decedent (4/24), checked November 2026

• ConfirmedReal estate

  Real estate in the person's name alone takes the estate out of this procedure.

  Source: Michigan Courts form PC 598, Affidavit of Decedent's Successor for Delivery of Certain Assets Owned by Decedent (4/24), checked November 2026

• ConfirmedWaiting period after the death

  29 days. More than 28 days after the death.

  "More than 28 days have passed since decedent's death."

  Source: Michigan Courts form PC 598, Affidavit of Decedent's Successor for Delivery of Certain Assets Owned by Decedent (4/24), checked November 2026

• ConfirmedNotary or oath

  Signed before a notary. The court form is sworn before a notary; it allows electronic or remote notarization.

  "Subscribed and sworn to before me on"

  Source: Michigan Courts form PC 598, Affidavit of Decedent's Successor for Delivery of Certain Assets Owned by Decedent (4/24), checked November 2026

• ConfirmedWhere the paperwork goes

  Handed to the bank or other holder. Presented to whoever owes the debt or holds the property, with the death certificate; no court filing.

  Source: Michigan Courts form PC 598, Affidavit of Decedent's Successor for Delivery of Certain Assets Owned by Decedent (4/24), checked November 2026

• ConfirmedOfficial form

  PC 598, Affidavit of Decedent's Successor for Delivery of Certain Assets Owned by Decedent. State Court Administrative Office form, revised 4/24, under MCL 700.3983.

  Source: Michigan Courts form PC 598, Affidavit of Decedent's Successor for Delivery of Certain Assets Owned by Decedent (4/24), checked November 2026

• ConfirmedSimplified court procedure

  Court order distributing small estates (MCL 700.3982): For an estate of $50,000 or less (adjusted yearly), the probate court may order the property turned over to the surviving spouse or heirs after funeral and burial costs are paid.

  Source: Michigan Courts form PC 598, Affidavit of Decedent's Successor for Delivery of Certain Assets Owned by Decedent (4/24), checked November 2026

• ConfirmedWorth knowing

  "More than 28 days" means the 29th day after the death is the first day it can be used. A petition for assignment can't already be on file with a court.

  Source: Michigan Courts form PC 598, Affidavit of Decedent's Successor for Delivery of Certain Assets Owned by Decedent (4/24), checked November 2026

The will at probate

Signing rules for wills, as they bear on getting the will accepted.

• ConfirmedWitnesses the will needed

  Two witnesses, each signing within a reasonable time after seeing the signing or the acknowledgment.

  "Signed by at least 2 individuals"

  Source: MCL 700.2502, Execution; witnessed wills; holographic wills (Michigan Legislature), checked November 2026

• ConfirmedSelf-proving affidavit

  Allowed. The county probate page describes sworn statements before an officer authorized to administer oaths, or a signed statement under penalty of perjury instead.

  "I certify (or declare) under penalty for perjury"

  Source: MCL 700.2502, Execution; witnessed wills; holographic wills (Michigan Legislature), checked November 2026

• ConfirmedIf the will is handwritten

  Recognized if dated and the signature and material parts are in the testator's handwriting.

  "the testator's signature and the document's material portions are in the testator's handwriting"

  Source: MCL 700.2502, Execution; witnessed wills; holographic wills (Michigan Legislature), checked November 2026

• ConfirmedA witness who inherits

  A will, or any part of it, isn't invalid because an interested witness signed it.

  "The signing of a will by an interested witness does not invalidate the will or any provision of it."

  Source: MCL 700.2502, Execution; witnessed wills; holographic wills (Michigan Legislature), checked November 2026

Documents to gather

• Recent bills, loan and credit card statements
• Pension, Social Security and benefit letters
• Safe deposit box location and keys
• Certified death certificates
• The original will and any codicils
• Deeds and mortgage statements
• Vehicle titles and registrations
• Recent bank, brokerage and retirement statements
• Life insurance policies and annuities
• The last few years of tax returns
• The official small estate form: PC 598, Affidavit of Decedent's Successor for Delivery of Certain Assets Owned by Decedent

Who to notify

Pension or employer, Social Security (if the funeral home hasn't), Banks and credit unions, Brokerage and retirement accounts, Life insurance companies, Utilities and phone, Landlord or mortgage servicer, Credit card companies. Write once to each, enclose a death certificate copy, and record the reply.

Documents needed abroad

• ConfirmedA death certificate needed abroad

  Apostilles for this state's documents come from the Michigan Department of State, Office of the Great Seal. $1 per document (Document Certification Fee). Vital records: Certified copies only, for example from a Michigan county clerk.

  Source: Michigan Department of State, Office of the Great Seal, checked November 2026

Where to ask

An estate attorney or the county probate/surrogate office answers questions about your situation. Official pages for Michigan:

• Michigan Courts form PC 598, Affidavit of Decedent's Successor for Delivery of Certain Assets Owned by Decedent (4/24)
• MCL 700.3982, Court order distributing small estates (Michigan Legislature)

General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. We are not lawyers, and MCC Solutions is not a law firm. An estate attorney or the county probate/surrogate office answers questions about your situation. Facts checked November 2026.

Common questions

Related: Executor guide by state · Small estate affidavit details · Apostille steps · Estate paperwork help