Michigan Guardianship Filing Fee

Filing Fees by Probate Track

Michigan's guardianship filing costs depend on which statutory track applies to the individual:

Developmental Disability (DD) track — Mental Health Code, MCL 330.1600 et seq.

• Guardianship petition (Form PC 658): $0
• Conservatorship petition: separate fee

Legally Incapacitated Individual (LII) track — EPIC, MCL 700.5303

• Guardianship petition (Form PC 625): $175
• Conservatorship petition: $175
• Both guardianship and conservatorship: $350

Additional court costs:

• Certified Letters of Authority: $12–$13 per copy (you'll need several — one for medical providers, one for banks, one for the school district)
• Conservator annual account filing (Form PC 584): $20 per year

For families of young adults with developmental disabilities who have had their conditions since before age 22, the DD track's $0 filing fee represents significant savings — especially compared to the LII track's costs when both guardianship and conservatorship are sought.

Fee Waivers: Form MC 20

If you cannot afford the filing fees, Michigan allows you to request a suspension of court costs using SCAO Form MC 20 (Fee Waiver Request). The form asks for household income, number of dependents, and current assets.

Public-assistance status and household income or assets can support a request, but the probate court reviews the information and decides whether to suspend court costs.

Ask the probate court how an approved fee suspension applies to other case costs; Form MC 20 is the request for suspension of court costs.

Guardian ad Litem (GAL) Fees

When you file a guardianship petition, the court appoints a Guardian ad Litem to investigate the case, visit the individual, explain their legal rights, and submit a report to the court. The GAL's fee is an additional cost on top of the filing fee.

GAL fees in Michigan vary considerably by county:

• Standard range: $75–$175 for a flat-fee appointment in uncontested cases
• Complex or contested cases: $500–$2,000, particularly when the GAL needs to conduct extensive investigation, interview multiple parties, or attend multiple hearings

The fee is initially billed to the petitioner or the respondent's estate, but the judge determines final responsibility at the hearing. If the individual is indigent, the court can waive the GAL fee entirely.

The Cost of Filing With vs. Without an Attorney

Filing pro se (without a lawyer). Michigan's probate courts are designed to accommodate self-represented petitioners. The SCAO provides standardized forms for every step, and Michigan Legal Help offers interactive tools that walk you through form completion. County probate court clerks will provide forms and explain filing procedures — though they cannot give legal advice or review your petition for substantive errors.

Pro se costs for a DD track guardianship:

• Filing fee: $0
• Letters of Authority: ~$25–$40 for multiple copies
• GAL fee: $75–$175 (potentially waived)
• Total: approximately $100–$215

Filing with a private attorney.

• Basic voluntary planning package (POA + PAD + releases, no court involvement): $1,000–$1,500
• Uncontested guardianship petition through a private attorney: $3,000–$5,000
• Contested guardianship (the individual or another family member opposes the petition): $5,000–$10,000+

These figures don't include the ongoing costs of maintaining a guardianship, which brings us to the expense most families don't anticipate.

The Ongoing Costs Nobody Warns You About

The filing fee is a one-time expense. The real financial burden of guardianship is the recurring administrative overhead:

Annual reporting. Guardians must file an annual report on the ward's condition (Form PC 634 or PC 663). This is a paperwork obligation but not a fee-generating one — unless you hire an attorney to prepare it.

Conservator annual accounting. Conservators file Form PC 584 with a $20 annual filing fee. If the court requires a professional accounting or review, the cost can run $500–$2,000 per year.

Fiduciary bond. The court may require the conservator to post a bond — essentially an insurance policy protecting the ward's estate from mismanagement. Bond premiums are paid from the ward's assets and scale with the size of the estate.

Attorney fees for modifications. Life changes — the ward moves, needs a change in services, or gains new functional capacity — may require modifying the guardianship order. Each modification requires a new petition and potentially a new hearing.

Compounding effect on small estates. For a young adult whose sole income is SSI ($994/month in 2026), the combined conservatorship costs (annual account filing + potential bond + periodic attorney fees) can consume a disproportionate share of their resources. This is why many families are better served by a Representative Payee arrangement for benefits management — it provides the same financial authority at zero cost with no court oversight.

When the Cost Calculus Points Away from Guardianship

The most cost-effective approach for many families isn't guardianship at all. A Patient Advocate Designation (healthcare authority), a Durable Financial Power of Attorney (financial authority), and a FERPA release (educational records) together cost nothing to execute if prepared without attorney assistance — and they provide domain-specific authority without court involvement, annual reporting, or ongoing fees.

The Michigan Adult Guardianship & Alternatives Guide breaks down the cost comparison for every path — from fully self-represented guardianship to the no-cost voluntary instrument package — with county-specific fee schedules and step-by-step form completion instructions for each option.

See more Michigan guides →