Estate Planning Questions, Answered Directly
Real prices, Michigan statutes, and plain English. Don't see your question? Ask us directly.
Last updated July 5, 2026
How much does an estate plan cost in Michigan?
An estate plan at Harbor Law costs $1,000 to $3,500, flat fee. A will-based plan (wills, powers of attorney, healthcare documents) is $1,000. A trust-based plan is $2,000, and a fully funded trust plan, where we retitle assets and record deeds for you, is $3,500. Couples are one engagement, one price. Many Michigan firms bill hourly or quote only after a sales meeting; we publish every price on our pricing page so you can compare before you ever talk to us.
How much does a living trust cost in Michigan?
A trust-based estate plan at Harbor Law costs $2,000 flat fee, or $3,500 fully funded. The $2,000 Signature plan includes the revocable living trust, pour-over wills, powers of attorney, healthcare documents, one recorded deed, and a written funding roadmap. The $3,500 Concierge plan adds done-for-you funding: we prepare and submit the retitling paperwork, coordinate with your financial institutions, and send a written confirmation letter when every asset is in the trust.
Do I need a trust, or is a will enough?
A will is usually enough if you rent, your accounts have named beneficiaries, and your estate is simple; that is our $1,000 Essentials plan. A trust is worth it if you own a home, have minor children, want to keep your family out of probate court, or want control over how and when heirs receive assets. In Michigan, a will does not avoid probate; it is instructions for the probate court. At your free consultation we will tell you plainly which one you need, and if a will is enough, that is what we will recommend.
What happens if I die without a will in Michigan?
Michigan's intestate succession law decides who inherits, not you. Your estate goes through probate court, and assets pass to relatives in a fixed order (spouse, children, parents, siblings). Unmarried partners, stepchildren, and charities receive nothing. If you have minor children, a judge chooses their guardian without your input, and children inherit everything outright at age 18. Any estate with more than $25,000 in solely owned assets generally requires probate under MCL 700.3982. A basic estate plan replaces all of those defaults with your own decisions.
Does a trust avoid probate in Michigan?
Yes, a funded revocable living trust avoids probate in Michigan. Assets titled in the trust pass directly to your beneficiaries under your trustee's management, with no court involvement. The key word is funded: the trust only controls assets actually titled in its name. Michigan estates with more than $25,000 in solely owned assets generally require probate (MCL 700.3982), so a home or accounts left outside the trust can send your family to court anyway. That is why every Harbor Law trust plan includes funding help, and our Concierge plan does the funding for you.
What happens if my trust isn't funded?
An unfunded trust is an empty safe: your family ends up in probate court anyway. The trust document only controls assets that were retitled into it (your home by recorded deed, bank and brokerage accounts by retitling) or that name it as beneficiary. Anything still titled in your own name above Michigan's $25,000 threshold (MCL 700.3982) generally goes through probate. Unfunded trusts are the most common problem we find when reviewing existing plans. If you already have a trust, we will check its funding on a free review call.
Will putting my house in a trust raise my property taxes?
No. Transferring your Michigan home into your revocable living trust does not uncap your property taxes, and you keep your Principal Residence Exemption, as long as you remain the beneficiary (MCL 211.27a(7)(a)). The transfer is specifically excluded from the definition of a taxable "transfer of ownership." One procedural requirement applies: a Property Transfer Affidavit (Form L-4260) must be filed within 45 days of recording the deed. When Harbor Law prepares and records your deed, we prepare and file that affidavit as part of the flat fee.
Does transferring my home to a trust affect my mortgage?
No. Federal law (the Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act) prohibits your lender from enforcing a due-on-sale clause when you transfer your home into your own revocable living trust and remain the occupant and beneficiary. You do not need your lender's permission, your interest rate does not change, and you keep making payments exactly as before. Your homeowner's insurance should simply list the trust as an additional insured, a one-call update we walk you through during funding.
How long does it take to get an estate plan done?
Most Harbor Law estate plans are finished in days, not months. The process is three steps: secure online intake you complete from home, attorney review and drafting, and one signing appointment where witnesses and the notary are handled for you. Trust funding follows immediately: your deed is typically recorded within days of signing, and on the Concierge plan the remaining retitling paperwork goes out to your financial institutions right away. Complex situations can take longer, and we tell you the realistic timeline at your free consultation.
Do you meet in person or is everything online?
Both. Most clients complete the consultation and intake online from home, then attend one in-person signing appointment where we provide the witnesses and notary. We meet in person around Rockford and the Grand Rapids area, and we serve clients throughout Michigan with virtual meetings and accommodated signings. Whichever you choose, the price is the same flat fee and the process is the same three steps.
What is a patient advocate designation?
A patient advocate designation is Michigan's version of a healthcare power of attorney: a document naming the person who makes medical decisions for you if you cannot make them yourself. Without one, your family may need a court-appointed guardian just to direct your care. Your patient advocate follows the written wishes you leave about treatment, end-of-life care, and organ donation, and a companion HIPAA authorization lets doctors share information with the people you choose. Every Harbor Law plan, from the $1,000 Essentials up, includes both documents.
Can you update a trust I already have?
Yes. We review and update trusts drafted by other attorneys, and the review call is free. The two problems we find most often are trusts that were never funded (the home or accounts were never retitled, so the trust controls nothing) and outdated beneficiary designations on IRAs and 401(k)s that contradict the plan. Depending on what your trust needs, the fix may be an amendment, a restatement, or simply completing the funding. You will get a plain-English explanation and a flat-fee quote before anything is done.
Still have questions?
Every family is different. The consultation is free and the advice is plain English.
Schedule a Free Consultation