Susan L. Hubbard has officially announced her candidacy for Wayne County Probate Court Judge — bringing with her 35 years of legal experience and a career-long track record of demanding accountability from public institutions.
Why This Race Matters
Wayne County Probate Court handles some of the most consequential legal proceedings in the lives of Michigan families: estate administration, guardianships, conservatorships, and mental health commitments. When the court functions properly, it protects the most vulnerable among us. When it doesn’t, families suffer.
Susan has witnessed firsthand how unchecked insider practices — ex parte communications, rubber-stamped attorney fees, and opaque appointment processes — have eroded public confidence in the court. As a party involved with her late mother’s estate in Wayne County Probate Court, Susan was required to spend tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees just to obtain a basic hearing on the BriggsColegrove PC’s $265,000 unsubstantiated attorney fees charged to her mother’s estate. And even after Colegrove admitted under oath she was engaging the judge in prohibited ex parte communications, the judge refused to recuse himself, requiring Susan to incur additional legal fees to remove him from the case. No one should ever be subjected to this unethical conduct.
The U.S Department of Justice’s Investigation
This is not a random circumstance. The DOJ’s ongoing investigation into corruption at Wayne County Probate Court has resulted in the indictment of two court-appointed attorneys, to date. Federal scrutiny has confirmed what families in Wayne County have known for years: the system is broken and it needs to be fixed.
What Every Family Deserves
Susan Hubbard is running for Wayne County Probate Court becase she believes every family that walks into Wayne County Probate Court deserves:
- A Judge who follows the rules - no backroom deals, no ex parte communications, no special treatment for connected attorneys.
- Transparent fee oversight - every attorney fee charged to an individual’s estate should be scrutinized, justified, and reasonable.
- Equal access to justice - whether you have a high-powered attorney or are representing yourself, you deserve to be heard fairly.
- Accountability - when court-appointed fiduciaries violate their duties, there must be real consequences.
As your probate judge, Susan Hubbard will call on our Supreme Court to put an end to the unethical practices at Wayne County probate court and to order the court’s reopening to the public it is required to serve.
What Susan Will Bring to the Bench
- Transparency — Open courtroom practices and rigorous fee review procedures.
- Accountability — Real consequences for attorneys and fiduciaries who exploit their positions.
- Fairness — Every case decided on its merits, regardless of who the attorneys know.
- Compassion — Treating families navigating the probate system with the dignity they deserve.
This site will serve as your central resource for campaign updates and ways to support the effort.