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Michigan Form PC 565: Testimony to Identify Heirs
What this form does, who files it, what it costs, and how to avoid the errors that get Michigan filings rejected.
Reviewed and updated by the Clear Path document team. Informational only — not legal advice.
Quick Answer
What is Michigan form PC 565?
Form PC 565 is a sworn statement listing who the deceased person's legal heirs are. The probate court uses it to know who must receive notice and who inherits when there is no will.
Who files it
Someone with personal knowledge of the family — often the personal representative or a close relative.
Where it goes
The probate court handling the estate.
Filing fee
No separate fee — it is filed as part of the estate case.
What you need before you start
- Names, ages, and addresses of the spouse, children, and other relatives in the order the statute uses
- Dates of death for any relative who died before the decedent
- Information about adoptions, half-siblings, and children from prior relationships
How to complete and file form PC 565
- 1
Work through the heir categories in order — spouse and descendants first, then parents, then siblings.
- 2
List every person in the closest surviving category, with current addresses.
- 3
Sign the form under oath or penalty of perjury.
- 4
File it with the probate court in the estate case.
Mistakes that get PC 565 rejected
- Leaving out a child from an earlier relationship, which can invalidate later notices
- Ignoring relatives who died within 120 hours of the decedent — the form addresses them specifically
- Filing it unsigned or unsworn
Form PC 565 Questions
Related probate forms
- Form PC 556 — Petition and Order for Assignment (Small Estate)
- Form PC 598 — Affidavit of Decedent's Successor for Delivery of Certain Assets Owned by Decedent
- Form PC 558 — Application for Informal Probate and/or Appointment of Personal Representative
- Form PC 650 — Petition for Appointment of Guardian of Minor