Antrim County Family Court Records Lookup
Antrim County family court records are held at the Antrim County Courthouse in Bellaire, Michigan. The county is part of the 13th Circuit Court, shared with Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties. Family matters including divorce, custody, paternity, child support, and domestic violence cases are handled through the Probate Court and Family Division in Bellaire. You can look up case information for free through the MiCOURT Case Search portal, or contact the court directly to request copies of court documents. A drop box outside the County Building's southeast entrance on M-88 is also available for submitting requests when the office is closed.
Antrim County Family Court Records Overview
Antrim County Court Contacts and Hours
The Antrim County Courthouse sits at 205 E Cayuga Street, Bellaire, MI 49615. The county website for courts and online services is at antrimcountymi.gov and antrimcounty.org/online_services. Judge Stacey L. Truesdell presides over the Probate Court and Family Division. Heather Bootz handles probate court administration and can be reached at (231) 533-6681, fax (231) 533-6600, or by email at probatecourt@antrimcountymi.gov.
The County Clerk is Sheryl Guy, reachable at (231) 533-6353 or by email at clerk@antrimcounty.org. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, with a lunch break from noon to 12:30 PM. Plan your visit around those hours. The drop box outside the County Building's southeast entrance off M-88 is available outside of office hours for dropping off written requests. Standard copies cost $1.00 per page. Recording fees use a flat $30 charge rather than a per-page rate. Call the probate court office before submitting to confirm current fee requirements for your specific request.
Antrim County's Family Division handles divorce, custody, paternity, UIFSA (Uniform Interstate Family Support Act) cases, and other domestic matters. Online case records for civil and criminal matters are available through MiCOURT, so start there before contacting the office directly.
Searching Antrim County Family Court Records Online
Antrim County family court records can be searched online through MiCOURT Case Search at no cost. This statewide portal covers the 13th Circuit, which includes Antrim, Grand Traverse, and Leelanau counties. To use it, you need a party name, case number, attorney name, or business name. The system returns case numbers, filing dates, party names, scheduled hearings, current case status, and the register of actions. No document images are available through MiCOURT. For actual papers from the case file, you need to contact the court directly.
The Antrim County Probate Court page at antrimcounty.org also provides court-specific information. Additional background on the court structure is available at the probate and family division page on the county website. Third-party aggregator sites may index some public Antrim County case data, but the circuit court and MiCOURT are the only authoritative sources for case details.
All approved forms for Antrim County family court filings are available through the SCAO forms database. Using these forms is required for divorce, custody modification, and paternity filings. Using non-approved forms can lead to rejected filings at the Antrim County courthouse.
Types of Family Court Records in Antrim County
Antrim County's Family Division case files cover a range of domestic relations matters. Divorce records include the original complaint, service documents, property and debt schedules, any temporary orders entered during the case, and the final judgment of divorce. When minor children are involved, the file also contains custody orders and parenting time schedules. Modifications made after the initial order are added to the same file over time. A case that runs for several years can accumulate a substantial amount of paperwork, and all of it stays in the circuit court's file unless sealed by court order.
Paternity cases handled by the Family Division result in an order of filiation that legally identifies the father. Once established, child support is ordered and tracked by the Antrim County Friend of the Court. UIFSA cases involve interstate child support or custody matters where one parent lives in a different state. These are more complex and may require coordination between courts in different states. The Friend of the Court Bureau provides guidance on interstate support cases at the state level.
Adoption records are sealed and held separately from all other family files under MCL 710.67. Juvenile delinquency and child protective services records are restricted under MCL 712A.28. Personal protection orders do not appear in public online searches per MCR 3.705.
Note: Antrim County's Probate Court also handles guardianship and conservatorship cases, which are separate from Family Division divorce and custody files.
How to Request Antrim County Family Court Records
Mail requests should be sent to the Antrim County Probate Court and Family Division, 205 E Cayuga Street, Bellaire, MI 49615. Include the case number if you have it, both parties' full names, the approximate year of filing, and a clear list of the documents you want. Attach a self-addressed stamped envelope and payment for copy fees. Standard copies cost $1.00 per page. Call (231) 533-6681 to confirm current fees and payment options before mailing. Certified copies require a $10.00 certification fee per document plus the per-page charge. Official certified records can only be sent by mail. They cannot be delivered by email or fax because they require a physical court seal.
For in-person visits, go to the Antrim County Courthouse at 205 E Cayuga Street in Bellaire during office hours, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Remember the noon to 12:30 PM lunch break. Bring a valid photo ID. Viewing records on-site is free under MCR 8.119. You only pay for copies. If the file you need is archived or large, call ahead to give the clerk time to locate it. The drop box at the building's southeast entrance off M-88 is available for after-hours submissions of written requests.
Michigan Law and Antrim County Court Records
Access to Antrim County family court records runs through MCR 8.119, which makes court records public as a default. The rule also bars courts from charging fees for in-person viewing. Copy fees are authorized under MCL 600.2546. Certified document fees follow the same statute. Michigan courts are exempt from the state's FOIA law under MCL 15.232. If the circuit court denies your records request, you would need to file a motion with that court directly. A FOIA appeal is not the right path for court records in Michigan. The Michigan Legislature website at legislature.mi.gov has all relevant statutes in full text. For court rules, check the Michigan Court Rules at the Michigan Courts site.
Nearby Counties
Antrim County is part of the 13th Circuit along with Grand Traverse and Leelanau. If a case could have been filed in a neighboring county, check these courts as well.