General Information
The Saginaw County Probate Court is presided over by Chief Judge Patrick J. McGraw and Chief Judge Pro Tem Fay M. Harrison. As a result of the creation of Family Court, both Judge McGraw and Judge Harrison not only serve as your Probate Judges, but also as your Circuit Court Family Law Judges. Currently, Judge McGraw, in the Saginaw County Courthouse, handles issues involving estates, trusts, guardianships, conservatorship, name change, the involuntary commitment of the mentally ill and family court matters including paternity, custody and personal protection orders. Judge Harrison, who is located in the Juvenile Center on Hospital Road, handles matters involving abuse and neglect, delinquency, adoption, paternity, custody, divorce and some estate and mental health cases. The Saginaw County Juvenile Detention Facility is operated under Judge Harrison's supervision.
Your Probate Judges are elected by the citizens of Saginaw County for 6 year terms. The Probate Court Office is located on the 2nd floor of the Saginaw County Governmental Center, as is the Probate/Family Courtroom.
The Saginaw County Probate Court serves as one of the pilot courts of the State of Michigan in the handling of involuntary commitment of the mentally ill and some juvenile and delinquency matters by video conferencing. This eliminates the need to transport patients, prisoners and delinquents into courtrooms and allows court to be held by video conferencing, which provides increased security to the public while at the same time insuring some dignity to those patients who may have been committed involuntarily. Video arraignments are also occurring in personal protection order cases.
The new Estates and Protected Individuals Code (EPIC) replaced the Revised Probate Code (RPC) in April 2000. Its drafters hoped to make filings easier for users and to give guidance to Judges who now have a national pattern of estate law and procedures. We now have over 120 new forms and related procedures. Much of Probate will now be handled by our staff in the office instead of the courtroom.
The Probate Court has also recently implemented an alternative dispute resolution program. Contested matters involving estate, trust, guardianships, conservatorships and other matters can now be handled informally and more inexpensively, prior to judicial involvement.