Probate & Family Court

About Family Court

The Family Division, a division of the Circuit Court, has jurisdiction over all family matters such as divorce, custody, parenting time, support, paternity, adoptions, name changes, juvenile proceedings, neglect/abuse proceedings, emancipation of minors, parental consent, and personal protection proceedings. The Family Division also has ancillary jurisdiction over cases involving guardianship, conservator, and proceedings involving the mentally ill or developmentally disabled.

About Probate Court

The Probate Court has jurisdiction and supervision of any matters involving decedent estates, these matters may include administration and supervision of estates and trust proceedings, including determining rights to an estate which does not have a will. One of the most significant purposes of the Probate Court in our society is that it makes a formal record of the legal status of property both real/liquid and personal. Estate proceedings could involve any of the following:

• Informal Proceedings
• Unsupervised Formal Proceedings
• Supervised Proceedings
• Petitions for Assignment (small estate) under $20,000
• Petitions for hospitalizations of mentally ill persons
• Petitions for name changes, both adult and minors
• Petitions for guardianships and conservatorships for minors and adults including adults with developmental disabilities
• Limited Guardianship of Minors