What's Included in Your Plan
Works alongside your trust to catch any assets not already inside it, and formally names a guardian for your minor children. Every complete estate plan includes one.
Free consultation · No pressure · Most plans complete in two sessions
The only document that lets you choose who raises your minor children if something happens to you.
Directs anything not titled into your trust so nothing is left out of your plan.
Appoints the personal representative you trust to carry out your wishes.
Without a Will
If you pass without a valid will, Michigan's intestate succession laws decide who inherits and who raises your children. The outcome rarely matches what families assume. Here is what the statute does in four common situations.
Your spouse does not automatically receive everything. Michigan law splits your estate between your spouse and children by a fixed formula, regardless of what you would have wanted.
This is where intestacy hurts families most. Your spouse and your children from another relationship divide the estate by statute, which can unintentionally cut people out or force the sale of a home.
A judge, not you, appoints the guardian who raises them and the conservator who controls their money, choosing from whoever petitions the court.
Your assets pass up and out to parents, siblings, or more distant relatives in a set order. Friends, partners, and charities you cared about receive nothing.
A will puts these decisions back in your hands. Paired with a trust, it also keeps your family out of the court process entirely.
A will tells the court who should receive your property and who should raise your children. In a complete plan it works as a partner to your trust, covering the things a trust does not and making sure nothing is accidentally left out.
A will is a set of instructions for a court. On its own it still requires probate, the public process that in Michigan typically takes 12 to 18 months and can cost $3,000 to $15,000 or more in attorney and court fees. Everything filed becomes part of the public record.
That is why most Michigan families pair a will with a revocable living trust. The trust handles the bulk of the estate and keeps the family out of court, while the will fills the gaps and protects minor children through a pour-over will.
Will vs. Trust
This is the question we hear most often. The honest answer: most Michigan families benefit from having both. Understanding the difference changes everything.
A will and a trust work best together. The trust handles the bulk of your estate and keeps your family out of court. The will fills in any gaps, including formally naming a guardian for your minor children. Your estate planning attorney will help you determine the right combination based on your specific situation, assets, and family.
Takes about 2 minutes · Get a personalized recommendation for your family
Your family's plan starts with one call.
How We Build Your Plan
Most families finish in two sessions and two to three weeks.
We review your family situation, your assets, and your wishes for guardianship.
Your will, trust, powers of attorney, and healthcare documents, all built for Michigan law.
You review each document with your attorney, then sign with proper witnesses so it holds up.
We remain available to update your plan after marriages, births, and other life changes.
Common Questions
In Michigan, a will by itself requires probate, which is public, slow, and costly. A full plan built around a revocable living trust keeps you out of probate, keeps your affairs private, covers incapacity, and protects your family more completely. For most families who own a home or have children, a complete plan is the right answer.
A will takes effect after you die and must clear probate before your heirs receive anything. A trust takes effect right away, avoids probate, and stays private. They work together: the trust handles most of your estate, and a pour-over will catches anything left outside it.
A pour-over will is a safety net used alongside a trust. If you forget to transfer an asset into your trust, the pour-over will directs that asset into the trust when you pass, so nothing is accidentally left out of your plan.
We review whatever you have during your free consultation at no charge. Laws and family situations change, and a will that made sense ten years ago may no longer reflect your wishes or protect your family the way you expect.
Free Consultation
Your free consultation is the easiest first step. We listen to your situation, explain your options in plain language, and there is no pressure and no obligation.
Plans start at $3,000 · Full quote provided during your free consultation
Our Locations
17 Michigan locations: Wayne, Oakland & Macomb Counties. Remote consultations available.
Main Office
Serving estate planning clients in Southfield, Detroit, Troy, Sterling Heights, Warren, Dearborn, Livonia, Farmington Hills, Bloomfield Hills, West Bloomfield, Clinton Township, Ann Arbor, and communities throughout Wayne, Oakland & Macomb Counties.
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