Michigan Estate Planning Guide 2026

Michigan is one of the most tax-friendly states in the country for estate planning purposes. With no state estate tax, no active inheritance tax, and no state gift tax, Michigan residents can focus their planning energy not on minimizing death taxes — but on avoiding the real cost that catches many families off guard: Michigan's probate process, which typically consumes 3–7% of total estate value. For a $400,000 estate, that means $12,000–$28,000 in fees before a single dollar reaches your heirs.

Overview: Michigan's Tax-Friendly Estate Environment

If you've heard that estate planning is primarily a tax problem, Michigan may pleasantly surprise you. The state imposes no estate tax, no active inheritance tax, and no gift tax of its own. Most Michigan families will never owe a dollar of state death tax — and only the largest estates (those above $15 million) will face any federal estate tax in 2026.

What Michigan does have is a meaningful probate system. Estates exceeding $24,000 in non-real-estate assets generally must pass through Probate Court before heirs receive anything. The fees, delays, and public exposure of probate make it the central estate planning challenge for Michigan residents — not taxes. The good news: Michigan also offers some of the most powerful probate-avoidance tools available anywhere, including the Lady Bird deed, which is unavailable in most states.

This guide covers the full picture: the tax environment, how Michigan probate works, the simplified procedures available for smaller estates, what probate actually costs, and — most importantly — how to structure your estate to keep assets out of probate entirely. We give particular attention to Lady Bird deeds, a Michigan-specific tool that is one of the most effective and underused estate planning instruments available to Great Lakes State residents.

Michigan Tax Landscape

Understanding Michigan's tax environment in context is valuable — because not every neighboring state is as generous, and Michigan residents moving from or to other states need to understand what they are gaining or leaving behind.

Federal Estate Tax: The Only Tax That Applies

In 2026, the federal estate tax exemption is $15,000,000 per individual. For a married couple, portability allows the surviving spouse to use any unused portion of the first spouse's exemption, creating a combined $30 million shield. The federal tax rate above the exemption reaches a maximum of 40%. For Michigan residents, federal estate tax planning is relevant only for high-net-worth families with estates approaching or exceeding these thresholds.

Even for large estates, the federal exemption was dramatically increased by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The current $15 million figure (adjusted for inflation annually) is double the pre-TCJA baseline. The exemption is currently set to revert in some form after the TCJA sunsetting provisions expire, though Congress may act to extend or modify the current structure. Michigan residents with estates between $10 million and $15 million should work with a tax advisor to monitor legislative developments.

No State Estate Tax

Michigan repealed its state estate tax years ago. Unlike many states that piggybacked on the old federal "state death tax credit" system and kept their own estate taxes when the federal credit was eliminated, Michigan did not maintain a separate estate tax. Michigan residents owe no state-level estate tax regardless of estate size.

No State Gift Tax

Michigan also imposes no state gift tax. The only gifting constraints Michigan residents face are the federal annual gift tax exclusion ($18,000 per recipient per year in 2024, indexed for inflation) and the federal lifetime exemption. Lifetime giving strategies — annual gifts to children and grandchildren, 529 plan funding, direct payments of tuition and medical expenses — are available to Michigan residents without any state-level gifting penalty.

Michigan vs. Neighboring States

Michigan's no-tax position looks even better in regional context:

The most striking comparison is with Illinois. A Michigan resident with a $6 million estate owes nothing in state estate tax. An Illinois resident with the same estate faces up to 16% on the $2 million above Illinois's $4 million exemption — potentially $320,000 or more in state tax. Michigan's no-tax position is a genuine competitive advantage for residents with substantial wealth, and an important consideration for Illinois residents who split time between the two states.

The Defunct Michigan Inheritance Tax

A common source of confusion: Michigan's statutes still reference an "inheritance tax," and state forms related to inheritance tax occasionally appear in estate administration paperwork. This causes understandable concern — but the practical answer is simple: Michigan's inheritance tax is effectively defunct for all current estates.

The Critical Date: September 30, 1993

Michigan's inheritance tax applies only to estates of individuals who died on or before September 30, 1993. If someone died on October 1, 1993 or later — including anyone dying today — Michigan's inheritance tax does not apply. Period. There is no Michigan inheritance tax on the transfer of any asset from anyone who died in the last three decades.

When Michigan made this change in 1993, it tied the inheritance tax repeal to the elimination of the federal state death tax credit that funded state-level death taxes at the time. Once the credit was eliminated, Michigan chose not to maintain an independent inheritance tax structure — a choice that has never been reversed.

Why This Still Comes Up

Occasionally, Michigan estate administration paperwork includes references to inheritance tax, or attorneys note that a "Michigan Inheritance Tax Return" technically exists. This is purely historical artifact. The return is required only for estates of decedents who died before October 1, 1993 — a group that is now entirely irrelevant for any new estate planning or administration. If an attorney, accountant, or online resource raises Michigan inheritance tax as a concern for a current estate, that concern is misplaced.

Probate in Michigan

While Michigan's tax environment is friendly, its probate system is where estate planning work truly matters. Michigan Probate Court oversees the administration of estates — the legal process of collecting assets, paying debts, and distributing property to heirs after death. Understanding how Michigan probate works, and what it costs, is the foundation for making smart planning decisions.

When Is Probate Required?

In Michigan, probate is generally required when:

• The decedent left assets titled solely in their name — without a joint owner, beneficiary designation, or transfer-on-death designation — with a combined non-real-estate value exceeding $24,000; or
• The decedent owned real property titled in their name alone (real estate is subject to a separate analysis and is typically excluded from the $24,000 threshold calculation for affidavit purposes).

It is worth noting that not all assets are subject to probate. Assets that pass automatically outside of probate include: life insurance with a named beneficiary, retirement accounts (401(k), IRA) with a named beneficiary, assets held in a revocable living trust, jointly owned property with right of survivorship, and accounts designated as payable-on-death (POD) or transfer-on-death (TOD). Proper titling and beneficiary designations can dramatically reduce or eliminate the need for probate.

Supervised vs. Unsupervised Probate

Michigan probate comes in two main administrative forms, and the choice between them significantly affects cost and timeline:

Most Michigan estates proceed under unsupervised administration. An interested party can petition the court for supervised administration if there is a dispute, concern about the personal representative's conduct, or a need for court oversight in complex situations. Supervised probate adds significant time and cost, so avoiding the conditions that trigger it — primarily family disputes and asset complexity — is worth planning for.

Informal vs. Formal Probate

Michigan also distinguishes between informal and formal probate proceedings, which determines how the case is opened rather than how it is supervised during administration:

• Informal Probate: Handled by the Probate Registrar (a court official) without a formal hearing. Available when there is a valid will or the intestacy rules apply clearly, and there are no known disputes. This is the faster, lower-cost starting point for most estates.
• Formal Probate: Requires a court hearing before a judge. Necessary when the will's validity is contested, there are competing claims to appointment as personal representative, or there is no will and the heirs are unclear.

The combination of informal + unsupervised probate is the most common and efficient path for Michigan estates that must go through probate at all. Formal and/or supervised probate adds both time and expense.

The Probate Process: Key Steps

The minimum timeline for Michigan probate — even straightforward, uncontested estates — is typically five to seven months due to the mandatory four-month creditor claim period. More complex estates or those with disputes frequently take twelve months or longer.

Small Estate and Simplified Procedures

Recognizing that full probate is disproportionately burdensome for smaller estates, Michigan provides several simplified procedures that allow families to transfer assets quickly and inexpensively. These procedures are critically important for middle-class Michigan families — even modest estates can qualify, saving thousands in fees and months of delay.

Collection by Affidavit (Under $24,000)

If the total value of the decedent's estate — excluding real property — does not exceed $24,000, heirs can use a simple sworn affidavit to collect assets without opening a full probate proceeding. This process, governed by MCL 700.3983, allows a successor to present the affidavit to banks, financial institutions, or other asset holders 28 days after the decedent's death and receive the assets directly.

Key requirements for the Affidavit procedure:

• The total non-real-estate probate assets must not exceed $24,000
• At least 28 days must have passed since the decedent's death
• No application for appointment of a personal representative can be pending or have been granted
• The affidavit must be signed under oath identifying the successor's right to the assets
• The person collecting the assets assumes responsibility for paying valid creditor claims proportionate to what they received

Asset holders that refuse to honor a properly presented affidavit face personal liability under Michigan law — providing practical enforcement without requiring court involvement.

Simplified Probate (Estates ≤ $51,000)

Michigan's 2024 legislative update established simplified probate for estates with a total value of $51,000 or less. This procedure is faster and less expensive than standard probate: the personal representative can complete administration on an accelerated timeline with reduced court involvement and paperwork requirements. Estates that narrowly exceed the $24,000 affidavit threshold — but remain under $51,000 — benefit significantly from this procedure rather than full standard probate.

Summary Administration for Surviving Spouse

Michigan also provides a summary administration procedure specifically for the surviving spouse or dependent minor children. When the decedent's estate consists primarily of assets passing to a surviving spouse — either through the will, beneficiary designations, or intestacy — the court may enter a summary order distributing assets without full probate administration. This procedure is most useful when the surviving spouse is the sole or primary beneficiary and the estate is relatively straightforward.

Real Property: Affidavit of Heirship

Real property presents a different challenge in Michigan because it is excluded from the personal property affidavit threshold. However, an Affidavit of Heirship (also called a Successor Trustee's Affidavit in trust contexts) can be recorded with the county register of deeds to establish ownership in some circumstances — though this procedure has important limitations and does not avoid probate for all types of real property transfers. For real estate planning, Lady Bird deeds (discussed in depth below) provide a far more reliable and comprehensive solution.

Probate Costs in Michigan

Understanding what probate actually costs is essential context for Michigan estate planning decisions. Many families are surprised — and often deeply frustrated — to discover how much of an estate disappears into fees before beneficiaries receive anything. Probate costs in Michigan typically run 3–7% of the total estate value, which can represent tens of thousands of dollars even for modest estates.

What Drives Probate Costs?

Michigan probate costs have four primary components:

• Court filing fees: These vary by county and estate size, but court filing and administrative fees typically start at $150–$200 and increase with estate value.
• Attorney fees: Most Michigan probate attorneys charge hourly rates of $200–$400 per hour. For a straightforward estate requiring 15–30 hours of attorney time, attorney fees alone may run $3,000–$12,000 or more. Complex estates with disputes, business interests, or real property issues cost considerably more.
• Personal representative (executor) fees: Michigan law allows the personal representative to receive "reasonable compensation" from the estate. While family members often waive these fees, professional fiduciaries or outside personal representatives typically charge 1–3% of estate value.
• Appraiser, accountant, and other professional fees: Complex estates with business interests, real estate, investment portfolios, or tax issues often require professional appraisers and accountants. These fees add to the overall cost.

What Probate Actually Costs: A $300,000 Estate Example

The Hidden Cost: Time

Probate also imposes a time cost that is harder to quantify but deeply felt by families. Michigan probate takes a minimum of five to seven months — often twelve months or more for larger or complex estates. During this period, assets are frozen, beneficiaries cannot access funds, and the family is in legal limbo. For a surviving spouse or child who needs access to inherited funds, this delay can create real financial hardship.

These probate costs — both monetary and temporal — are the primary reason that probate avoidance planning is so valuable in Michigan, even for middle-class families without large estates.

Avoiding Probate in Michigan

Michigan offers a robust toolkit for keeping assets out of probate. Used correctly, these strategies can allow the vast majority of your estate to pass directly to heirs without any court involvement, within days or weeks rather than months.

Which Strategy Is Right for You?

The best probate-avoidance approach depends on the nature and value of your assets:

• For real estate: A Lady Bird deed (see the dedicated section below) is typically the most powerful and flexible option for Michigan homeowners. A revocable living trust with real estate transferred into it is the alternative for those with multiple properties or complex situations.
• For financial accounts: POD designations and beneficiary designations handle most bank accounts, investment accounts, retirement accounts, and life insurance at minimal cost. Review and update these regularly — especially after marriage, divorce, birth of children, or death of a named beneficiary.
• For overall estate integration: A revocable living trust provides the most comprehensive solution, covering all asset types in a single coordinated document. While it requires more upfront setup (transferring assets into the trust, "funding" the trust), it provides the most flexibility and completeness.

Lady Bird Deeds in Michigan

Among all the probate-avoidance tools available to Michigan residents, the Lady Bird deed — formally called an enhanced life estate deed — stands out as one of the most powerful and distinctly Michigan-friendly instruments in estate planning. Michigan is one of only a handful of states that recognize Lady Bird deeds, and for Michigan homeowners, this tool deserves dedicated attention.

How a Lady Bird Deed Works

A Lady Bird deed is a deed that conveys a life estate to the current owner — retaining full rights of ownership during their lifetime — while designating a "remainder beneficiary" (or beneficiaries) who will receive the property automatically at the owner's death. The "enhanced" part distinguishes it from a traditional life estate deed: the owner retains the power to sell, mortgage, lease, or otherwise dispose of the property without the remainder beneficiary's involvement or consent, and can revoke or change the deed at any time.

Here is how the process works step by step:

• The deed is drafted and recorded. A Michigan attorney prepares the Lady Bird deed naming the current owner as life tenant with enhanced powers, and designating one or more remainder beneficiaries. The deed is recorded at the county register of deeds.
• During the owner's lifetime: The owner retains complete control. They can live in the home, rent it, renovate it, sell it (keeping all proceeds), use it as mortgage collateral, or revoke the Lady Bird deed entirely — all without the remainder beneficiary's knowledge or consent.
• At the owner's death: The property passes automatically to the named remainder beneficiary (or beneficiaries) by operation of law. No probate is required. The beneficiary files an Affidavit of Death and the property transfers cleanly.

Two Critical Advantages: Probate and Medicaid

The Lady Bird deed provides two distinct legal benefits that together make it uniquely valuable:

1. Probate Avoidance. Because the property transfers by operation of law at death, it bypasses the Probate Court entirely. Heirs receive the home without a judge, without a personal representative, without the four-month creditor period, and without attorney fees eating into the estate. For a Michigan home worth $250,000, this can save $7,500–$17,500 in probate costs alone.

2. Medicaid Estate Recovery Protection. Michigan's Medicaid estate recovery program can seek reimbursement from a deceased Medicaid recipient's estate for the cost of long-term care benefits received. Under Michigan law, this recovery applies to "probate estates" — assets that pass through Probate Court. Because a Lady Bird deed transfers property outside of probate, the home is generally not reachable by the Michigan Medicaid estate recovery program after the owner's death. This protection is not available with a simple joint tenancy or TOD arrangement for real property in many states, making Michigan's Lady Bird deed particularly valuable for seniors who may need Medicaid-funded long-term care.

Lady Bird Deed vs. Other Options

When Is a Lady Bird Deed the Right Choice?

A Lady Bird deed is most appropriate when:

• The homeowner wants to keep the home out of probate while maintaining complete control during their lifetime
• The homeowner is a senior who may need Medicaid-funded long-term care and wants to protect the home from estate recovery
• The estate plan is relatively straightforward with one primary property and clear beneficiaries
• The homeowner wants a simpler (and less expensive) solution than a full revocable living trust
• The homeowner wants the flexibility to change beneficiaries or sell the home without complications

A revocable living trust may be preferable to a Lady Bird deed when there are multiple properties, complex family situations, out-of-state beneficiaries, or a desire to coordinate all assets — not just real estate — under a single planning document. An experienced Michigan estate planning attorney can help evaluate the right approach for each situation.

Planning Strategies for Michigan Residents

With no state death taxes to minimize, Michigan estate planning focuses on three core goals: keeping assets out of probate, protecting the estate from long-term care costs, and — for larger estates — managing federal estate tax exposure. The following strategies address each of these priorities.

Revocable Living Trusts: The Foundation for Comprehensive Probate Avoidance

A revocable living trust is the most comprehensive estate planning tool for probate avoidance in Michigan. Unlike a Lady Bird deed (which covers only real property), a living trust can hold all types of assets — bank accounts, investment accounts, business interests, personal property, and real estate — providing a single coordinated structure that eliminates probate for the entire estate.

The trust is created during your lifetime and you serve as your own trustee, maintaining complete control over trust assets. You can add or remove assets, change beneficiaries, and amend or revoke the trust at any time. At death, a successor trustee steps in and distributes assets to beneficiaries according to the trust document — no court, no waiting period, no public process.

Given Michigan's probate costs of 3–7%, a living trust typically pays for itself many times over for estates with significant assets. Attorney fees to establish a comprehensive trust range from $1,500–$3,500 in Michigan — a one-time investment that can save $15,000–$50,000 or more in probate costs for a $500,000+ estate.

Lady Bird Deeds for Real Property

As detailed in the section above, Lady Bird deeds are Michigan's premier tool for real property planning. Most Michigan estate plans that include real estate should incorporate a Lady Bird deed or hold real property in a living trust. Leaving a home to pass through probate is almost always the more expensive choice.

Federal Estate Tax Planning for Larger Estates

For Michigan residents with estates approaching or exceeding $15 million (the 2026 federal exemption), federal estate tax planning becomes essential:

Noncharitable Purpose Trusts: Michigan's 2024 Innovation

Michigan's 2024 law introduced noncharitable purpose trusts, allowing trust assets to be held for a specific purpose — rather than for identifiable beneficiaries — for a maximum of 25 years. Common uses include trusts for pet care (allowing detailed instructions for the care of animals after the owner's death), maintenance of a family cemetery plot, preservation of a family home, or other specific purposes that lack a traditional beneficiary. If you have a pet, a property you want maintained in a specific way, or another purpose-specific goal, a Michigan noncharitable purpose trust is now available as a planning tool.

Business Succession Planning

Michigan business owners face estate planning challenges beyond the individual estate. A business interest that passes through probate creates disruption, uncertainty, and potential loss of value during the administration period. Key strategies for Michigan business owners include:

• Buy-sell agreements funded with life insurance that ensure business continuity and provide liquidity to buy out a deceased owner's interest at a predetermined price
• Transferring business interests into a living trust to avoid probate and allow seamless transition to a successor trustee
• Family limited partnerships (FLPs) or family LLCs that consolidate business interests, facilitate annual gifting, and potentially achieve valuation discounts for estate tax purposes
• Succession agreements and key-person insurance to protect the business from the financial impact of losing a principal owner

Multi-State Considerations for Michigan Snowbirds

Many Michigan residents spend significant time in Florida, Arizona, or other warm-weather states. Multi-state residency creates several estate planning considerations:

• Domicile determination: Only one state can be your legal domicile for estate tax purposes. Michigan's no-tax environment is already favorable; residents who formally change domicile to Florida gain Florida's homestead exemption benefits but may lose some Michigan-specific advantages.
• Ancillary probate: If you own real estate in multiple states, your estate may need to go through probate in each state where real property is located — separate from Michigan probate. A revocable living trust that holds all real property can avoid ancillary probate in each state.
• Document validity: Michigan estate planning documents are generally recognized in other states, but healthcare directives and powers of attorney may have different requirements across state lines. Maintaining current documents that satisfy each state's requirements — or working with attorneys in each state — is advisable for significant snowbirds.

Powers of Attorney and Healthcare Directives

A complete Michigan estate plan addresses not just what happens at death, but what happens if you become incapacitated during your lifetime. Michigan law provides three essential documents that protect you and your family during periods of incapacity — and the consequences of lacking these documents can be severe: costly, time-consuming court guardianship proceedings that give a judge control over who makes your most important decisions.

Michigan Durable Financial Power of Attorney

A durable financial power of attorney (DPOA) designates a trusted person — your "agent" or "attorney-in-fact" — to manage your financial affairs if you become unable to do so. "Durable" means the document remains effective even if you become incapacitated (a non-durable POA automatically terminates on incapacity, making it useless for the most common purpose).

Key points for Michigan financial powers of attorney:

• Execution requirements: Michigan requires the DPOA to be signed before a notary public and two adult witnesses. The agent cannot serve as a witness.
• Springing vs. immediate: A "springing" DPOA activates only upon a triggering event (typically a physician's certification of incapacity). An "immediate" DPOA is effective upon signing. Immediate POAs are often more practical — banks and financial institutions sometimes balk at springing POAs that require documentation of incapacity before they will comply.
• Scope of authority: The DPOA should carefully enumerate the powers granted. Standard financial management powers cover banking, investment management, real property transactions, and tax filings. "Hot powers" — the ability to make gifts, change beneficiary designations, or create trusts — must be specifically and expressly granted.
• Fiduciary duties: Michigan agents under a DPOA owe fiduciary duties to the principal, including loyalty, care, and the duty to act in the principal's best interest. Agents who misuse their authority face legal liability.

Michigan Patient Advocate Designation

Michigan uses a distinctive document called a Patient Advocate Designation (PAD) that combines what other states typically separate into two documents: a healthcare power of attorney (naming a healthcare decision-maker) and a living will (stating end-of-life wishes). In Michigan, both functions are incorporated into a single Patient Advocate Designation.

• Who is the patient advocate? Your designated patient advocate is the person who makes healthcare decisions on your behalf when you cannot make them yourself. Choose someone who understands your values, will be available in a crisis, and has the emotional strength to make difficult decisions under pressure. You may name successor advocates in priority order.
• End-of-life authority: Michigan's PAD explicitly allows you to grant your patient advocate authority over end-of-life decisions, including the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment. Without this grant of authority stated expressly in the document, Michigan law limits the advocate's authority in end-of-life situations.
• Mental health treatment: Michigan's PAD can also address mental health treatment decisions, including hospitalization and medication — authority that is often missing from other states' forms. If this is a concern, it must be specifically included.
• Execution requirements: A Michigan PAD must be signed in the presence of two adult witnesses. Neither witness can be the patient advocate, a healthcare provider involved in your care, or an employee of a healthcare provider.
• No notarization required: Unlike the financial DPOA, the PAD does not require notarization — two qualified witnesses are sufficient.

HIPAA Authorization

A HIPAA authorization is a separate document that allows your designated individuals to receive medical information about you from healthcare providers, even without a patient advocate designation in effect. Where the PAD governs decision-making authority, a HIPAA authorization governs information sharing. Including a HIPAA authorization in your Michigan estate plan ensures that trusted family members can communicate with your doctors even in situations that don't rise to the level of full incapacity.

The Cost of Having No Documents

Without a financial DPOA and PAD, Michigan law requires your family to petition the Probate Court for guardianship and conservatorship of your person and property. This process:

• Requires a formal Probate Court petition, typically costing $3,000–$10,000 or more in legal fees
• Takes weeks to months before a guardian is appointed — leaving your affairs unmanaged in the interim
• Is a public proceeding — anyone can access guardianship court records
• Results in ongoing annual reporting requirements to the court for as long as the guardianship continues
• May not result in your preferred person being appointed — the court decides

Drafting a DPOA and PAD while you are healthy costs a fraction of guardianship proceedings and gives you complete control over who manages your affairs and how. These documents are among the most important components of any complete Michigan estate plan.

When to Consult a Michigan Estate Planning Attorney

Michigan's favorable tax environment means that estate planning here is less about avoiding taxes and more about protecting your family from probate costs, long-term care risks, and inadequate incapacity planning. While Michigan's simplified procedures help smaller estates, many situations call strongly for professional legal guidance.

You Should Consult a Michigan Estate Planning Attorney If:

• Your estate — including home equity, retirement accounts, life insurance, and investments — exceeds $100,000 in non-beneficiary assets (meaning assets that would otherwise go through probate)
• You own Michigan real estate and have not established a Lady Bird deed or placed the property in a living trust
• You are a senior who may need Medicaid-funded long-term care in the future and want to protect your home from estate recovery
• You own a business and need succession planning coordinated with your estate plan
• Your estate has grown to approach federal estate tax thresholds ($15 million individual / $30 million married couple in 2026)
• You own real estate in multiple states and face potential ancillary probate in each jurisdiction
• You have a blended family with children from prior relationships or stepchildren
• You have a beneficiary with special needs who receives government benefits (a special needs trust can preserve eligibility)
• You want to establish a noncharitable purpose trust for pets, property maintenance, or other specific purposes under Michigan's 2024 law
• Your existing estate planning documents are more than three to five years old, or your family or financial situation has changed significantly
• You lack a Patient Advocate Designation or Durable Power of Attorney and want to avoid court guardianship

What to Expect from Michigan Estate Planning

For most Michigan residents, a comprehensive estate plan — will, revocable living trust, Lady Bird deed, durable power of attorney, and patient advocate designation — involves one to three attorney meetings and a total cost of $1,500–$4,000 for a basic plan, or $3,000–$8,000 for plans involving business interests, complex family situations, or multi-state property. This one-time investment typically saves far more in probate costs and prevents far greater complications than it costs.

Finding a Qualified Michigan Estate Planning Attorney

When selecting a Michigan estate planning attorney, look for:

• Active membership in the State Bar of Michigan's Probate and Estate Planning Section
• Experience with Michigan Lady Bird deeds, living trusts, and Medicaid planning
• Membership in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) — the gold-standard national credential for estate planning attorneys
• Elder law certification through the National Elder Law Foundation (NELF) if Medicaid planning is a concern
• Clear upfront communication about fees — most Michigan estate planning work is billed on a flat-fee basis

Additional Michigan Estate Planning Resources

For further research on Michigan estate planning, these official sources are authoritative:

• Michigan Probate Court: Each county's Probate Court handles local probate matters. Contact information and forms are available through each county's court website — search "[county name] Michigan Probate Court."
• State Bar of Michigan: The State Bar's Probate and Estate Planning Section and its lawyer referral service are available at michbar.org.
• Michigan Legislature: The full text of Michigan's Estates and Protected Individuals Code (EPIC), which governs probate and trust administration, is available at legislature.mi.gov.
• Michigan Department of Health and Human Services: Information about Michigan's Medicaid estate recovery program is available through MDHHS at michigan.gov/mdhhs.

For a broader view of estate planning across neighboring states, compare Michigan's approach with our guides for all state guides. See our Trusts Guide for a deep dive on revocable living trusts, and our Probate Guide for a national overview of probate procedures. If you are still choosing between a will and a trust, start with Will vs. Living Trust.