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Welcome
to the Ionia County Probate Court world wide web site. The probate
court is a constitutional court of limited jurisdiction. This
site provides general information about the court, the types
of cases filed with the court, procedures in the court, and special
articles on various laws under the jurisdiction of the court.
This site remains under construction as additions are made weekly.
MISSION STATEMENT: To provide assistance and services
to all persons and organizations seeking the jurisdiction of
the probate court so as to ensure full access to justice within
the authority of the court.
You can find the following information at this site:
HOME: Welcome and general information about the Michigan
Probate Courts.
WHAT
WE DO: Listing of the various jurisdictions of the court.
WHO
WE ARE: Essential data about the court and its employees;
directions to the court; holiday schedule and inclement weather
closings policy.
JURY
DUTY: General information about serving as a juror in probate
court and the family division of Ionia County Circuit Court.
EPIC: The
Estates and Protected Individuals Code related matters including
a series of related articles on various aspects of this code
including links, Court rules and forms.
MICHIGAN
PROBATE COURTS
Each county in the State of Michigan has a probate court mandated by the Michigan
Constitution. However, there are 10 counties in low population areas of
the state where the counties have joined to form five probate court districts
with a single judge serving each county of the district. All other counties
of the state have at least one probate judge. The counties having a large
population, like Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Kent, and so forth have two or
more judges to meet the caseloads of the county.
Established by the Michigan Constitution, the probate court is a court of original
jurisdiction and is a court of record. The constitution provides that the
probate court “. . . shall have original jurisdiction in all cases
of juvenile delinquents and dependents, except as provided by law.” The
legislature is given power to establish the various jurisdictions or matters
that the court will have authority over. I t states: “The jurisdiction,
powers and duties of the probate court and of the judges thereof shall
be provided by law.” The Michigan Supreme Court has power to determine
the procedures in court for the exercise of its authority. It adopts court
rules for conducting various proceedings in the courts.The probate court
presently has jurisdiction of such matters as settling decedent estates,
establishing guardianships of minors and adults, appointing conservators,
and the involuntarily committing persons to psychiatric hospitals or ordering
persons to mental health treatment outside of a psychiatric hospital.
Probate judges are elected as a non-partisan candidate for a term of six years
that begin on January 1 of the year following the election. When a vacancy
occurs in the office, the governor may appoint a lawyer to fill the position
until the next general election. The qualifications to serve as probate
judge include being a qualified elector, a resident of the county or probate
district where a candidate, under age 70 before the term begins, and be
a lawyer licensed to practice law in Michigan and have practiced law for
at least 5 years before the term begins.
For specific information about the Ionia County Probate Court or to view the
various other items of information provided at this site, select the appropriate
item from the list in the left column of this page. Thank you for visiting
this site. If you have any comments, suggestions or questions, please send
us an email using the item in the left column.
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