Oakland County voters, including Novi residents and those in the Oakland County portion of Northville, will pick a new probate court judge on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Elisabeth Dery and Jessica Ann Hallmark are competing for a six-year seat on the Oakland County Probate Court. The winner will oversee cases involving estates, guardianships, conservatorships and mental health proceedings across the county.
Why the seat is open
Judge Daniel A. O'Brien is leaving the four-judge court at the end of 2026. State age limits bar him from seeking re-election, the Oakland County Legal News reported.
The Oakland County Bar Association (OCBA) hosted a candidate forum June 17 in Pontiac and has published video interviews with both candidates through the Oakland County Times.
Elisabeth Dery
Dery, 43, is a probate attorney and partner at Yun, Dery & Morgan in Clarkston, where she manages a 16-member legal team. She lives in Royal Oak.
She started as a paralegal at Kemp Klein in Troy in 2011, earned her law degree from Cooley Law School in 2012 and became an associate at the firm from 2014 to 2018. She then joined the Clarkston firm and made partner in January 2022. She also holds a bachelor's from the University of Maryland.
Dery has chaired the OCBA's Probate, Estate and Trust Committee and provided pro bono services through Common Ground in Pontiac for more than four years.
"I have a long record of community service and I view my candidacy as another way of giving back to the residents of Oakland County," Dery told the Legal News in November 2025.
Her endorsers include Novi City Council Member Aaron Martinez, State Sen. Rosemary Bayer and the Oakland County Democratic Party, according to her campaign website.
Jessica Ann Hallmark
Hallmark, 46, practices commercial real estate, liquor licensing and business law at Adkison Need Allen & Rentrop in Bloomfield Hills. She lives in Orion Township, according to the Legal News.
She graduated from the University of Michigan in 2001 and Wayne State University Law School in 2008. Earlier in her career, she clerked for the chief judge of the Oakland County Circuit Court, according to her campaign website.
Her mother, Linda Hallmark, served as an Oakland County Probate Court judge from 1997 to 2024 before retiring.
"She has been very encouraging and supportive of my candidacy, and obviously has been a role model for me since I became a lawyer," Hallmark told the Legal News in January 2026.
Hallmark chairs the Continuing Legal Education Committee for the State Bar of Michigan's Real Property Law Section. Hallmark's campaign website lists endorsements from current and former judges, including Oakland County Circuit Court Chief Judge Jeffery Matis and Probate Judge Daniel P. O'Brien, as well as Teamsters Local 1038 and Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Local 2 of Michigan.
What probate court handles
The court oversees estate settlements, guardianships for minors and incapacitated adults, conservatorships and involuntary mental health commitments. Residents dealing with a loved one's death or a family member who can no longer manage their own affairs often end up before a probate judge.
The Northville District Library's nonpartisan voter guide lists both candidates and links to their campaign websites. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
