Plain-language guidance
Michigan Estate Planning FAQs
Starting points for common questions. Your specific plan should be based on your facts and attorney review.
Do I need a trust or a will?+
A trust is not automatically better. The right structure depends on probate-avoidance goals, real estate, family structure, incapacity planning, privacy, beneficiary needs, and willingness to complete trust funding.
Does a will avoid probate in Michigan?+
No. A will controls probate property but does not itself remove property from probate.
What happens if I have minor children?+
Your plan can nominate guardians and create a trust to hold inherited assets rather than distributing property outright to a minor.
Can I start the process online?+
Yes. The information-gathering process can begin through our secure Clio intake, followed by attorney review.
Can everything be electronically signed?+
No. Intake and engagement documents may often be handled electronically, but estate-planning instruments must follow the execution requirements that apply to each document.
What does trust funding mean?+
Funding is the process of coordinating ownership and beneficiary designations with the trust. The correct method varies by asset type.
How often should I review my estate plan?+
Review every few years and sooner after marriage, divorce, births, deaths, major asset changes, moves, business changes, or changes involving fiduciaries or beneficiaries.
Do you handle Medicaid or special-needs planning?+
Those issues require additional attorney review and may fall outside the standard package structure. The preliminary intake flags them before routine document generation.
Your plan can start today
Protect what matters.
Plan with clarity.
Begin with a secure preliminary intake. No attorney-client relationship is formed until the firm completes review and a written engagement agreement is accepted.