Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Michigan

You can start a probate estate in the county where he died. However, I'd start by getting the deeds to the properties in the county register of deeds office. If the property was held with the wife jointly (tenancy by entireties if they are married, generally), then the property would automatically pass to the wife bypassing probate. The life insurance also passes to the wife if she is the beneficiary also bypassing probate. If the property was solely in your father's name, then the wife would get 100% of the property up to a point (could be $200,000 or so) and then the property is divided equally thereafter with the children of your father.