Educational guide — not legal advice. Costs vary by attorney and Michigan county. A written engagement letter states the exact fee before work begins.
The short answer
“Estate plan” ranges from a single will to a full trust package, so the price depends on what you need:
| What you’re getting | Typical Michigan cost |
|---|---|
| Basic will only | Not set by law; no independent published source found as of September 2026 |
| Will + financial POA + patient advocate designation/living will (basic plan) | Not set by law; no independent published source found as of September 2026 |
| Revocable living trust package (trust + pour-over will + POAs + directive) | Not set by law; no independent published source found as of September 2026 |
| Complex plan (blended family, special needs, business, out-of-state property) | Not set by law; no independent published source found as of September 2026 |
| Online will (simple situation) | Not set by law; no independent published source found as of September 2026 |
Metro Detroit and Ann Arbor run at the higher end; smaller Michigan markets run lower.
What each package includes
A basic will
A Michigan-compliant will customized to your wishes, guidance on naming a personal representative and guardians for minor children, and a signing with two witnesses (plus a notary for the self-proving affidavit). It does not include powers of attorney, a patient advocate designation, or a trust — those are separate.
A full basic estate plan
The will plus the documents most adults need:
- Durable financial power of attorney — names someone to manage your money if you can’t.
- Patient advocate designation — Michigan’s name for a health care power of attorney (MCL 700.5506), naming someone to make medical decisions.
- Living will / statement of wishes — your end-of-life preferences.
- Often a HIPAA authorization so your advocate can access records.
For most Michigan families, this is the sweet spot — a complete plan for a modest flat fee.
A revocable living trust package
Everything above plus a revocable living trust and a pour-over will. The trust operates on the assets retitled into it, and covers for privacy, incapacity planning, out-of-state property, or controlling how heirs receive assets — not always just to avoid probate, since a Lady Bird deed can pass your home outside probate. Quotes differ on whether trust funding is included.
A complex plan
Blended families, special-needs beneficiaries, business succession, or out-of-state property. The price reflects real attorney time.
Why the probate cost matters here
Michigan has no state estate or inheritance tax, so death taxes aren’t a factor. But Michigan probate has a distinctive line item:
- A mandatory probate inventory fee, charged under MCL 600.871(1) “[i]n all decedents’ estates in which proceedings are instituted for probate” on the date-of-death value of the probate estate. MCL 600.871(1)(g) sets the fee at $362.50 plus 1/8 of 1% of the amount over $100,000 for an estate of $100,000 to $500,000; (h) adds $62.50 for each additional $100,000 over $500,000; and (i) $31.25 for each additional $100,000 over $1,000,000. On that schedule the fee is $362.50 at $100,000, $862.50 at $500,000 and $1,175 at $1,000,000. MCL 600.871(2) deducts indebtedness secured by estate real property first.
- No statutory attorney or executor fee percentage — both are “reasonable compensation,” typically hourly.
- We found no independent published source for this figure as of September 2026; the ranges that are published come from law firms, online document sellers, or sites paid to refer customers to them.
Because the inventory fee scales with the value that goes through probate, keeping your home out of probate saves real money — which is why Michigan planning leans on Lady Bird deeds and beneficiary designations. See Do You Need a Living Trust in Michigan? and Lady Bird Deed vs. Living Trust in Michigan.
Online and DIY options
They’re a good fit when your situation is straightforward and you can confidently answer a guided questionnaire. We found no independent published source for this figure as of September 2026; the ranges that are published come from law firms, online document sellers, or sites paid to refer customers to them.
Michigan also recognizes holographic (handwritten) wills under MCL 700.2502 if they’re dated, signed, and the material portions are in your handwriting. Any typed or pre-printed material in those portions takes the document outside the holographic provision. See Does a Will Have to Be Notarized in Michigan?.
A reasonable rule: if you can answer every question on the questionnaire without hesitation, online is fine. The moment you’re unsure — a blended family, a special-needs child, a business — that’s when a Michigan attorney earns the fee.
Ways to spend less
- What the plan has to cover. For most Michiganders a will-based plan plus a Lady Bird deed reaches the same assets a trust would.
- A Lady Bird deed passes the home outside probate without a full trust.
- Do the prep work — know your personal representative, guardians, and beneficiaries before meeting the attorney.
- Quoted fees vary between firms. Flat-fee quotes for the same package differ across Michigan; each firm sets its own.
- Current beneficiary designations — accounts pass outside probate for free, shrinking the inventory fee.
What the record shows
Michigan imposes no state estate or inheritance tax. It charges a probate inventory fee on the date-of-death value of probate assets (MCL 600.871) and sets no statutory attorney or executor fee percentage. Michigan has no statutory transfer-on-death deed but recognises Lady Bird (enhanced life estate) deeds; assets passing that way are not counted in the inventory fee. A funded revocable trust operates on the assets retitled into it and has the same effect on the inventory fee base. We found no independent published source for this figure as of September 2026; the ranges that are published come from law firms, online document sellers, or sites paid to refer customers to them.
Common questions
Do you need a lawyer to make a will in Michigan?
No. You can make a valid Michigan will yourself or online — typed and witnessed by two people, or (with strict rules) handwritten. The execution requirements, with the section that sets them, are documented at Does a Will Have to Be Notarized in Michigan?; who drafted the document is not among them. What an attorney-drafted package adds is drafting, supervision of execution, and the accompanying powers of attorney and directive.
Does Michigan have an estate or inheritance tax?
No — Michigan has neither a state estate tax nor an inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax, which affects only very large estates (in the millions), applies — so death taxes are a non-issue for nearly all Michigan families.
How much does a living trust cost in Michigan?
A Lady Bird deed operates on one parcel of real estate. We found no independent published source for what one costs as of September 2026; the ranges that are published come from law firms, online document sellers, or sites paid to refer customers to them.
What is a patient advocate designation in Michigan?
Michigan’s version of a health care power of attorney (MCL 700.5506). It names someone to make medical decisions for you if you can’t, and it’s a standard part of a full Michigan estate plan.
What’s the difference between the plan cost and probate cost in Michigan?
Spending a little now — especially on a Lady Bird deed — is often what keeps the later probate cost and inventory fee low or eliminates them. We found no independent published source for this figure as of September 2026; the ranges that are published come from law firms, online document sellers, or sites paid to refer customers to them.
Is a mental competency or witnessing requirement part of the cost?
No extra charge. Michigan’s execution requirements, and the section that sets them, are documented at Does a Will Have to Be Notarized in Michigan?. An attorney package includes supervision of the signing. See Does a Will Have to Be Notarized in Michigan?.
Related reading
- Do You Need a Living Trust in Michigan?
- Lady Bird Deed vs. Living Trust in Michigan
- Does a Will Have to Be Notarized in Michigan?
- Estate Planning in Michigan: The Complete Guide
- How Much Does a Living Trust Cost?
Educational information only — not legal advice. Michigan estate-planning costs vary by attorney, county, and complexity; figures are 2026 estimates. An engagement letter states the fee before work begins. Figures here are written engagement letter before any work begins. Sources: MCL 600.871; Michigan Estates and Protected Individuals Code (EPIC), MCL 700.5506; State Bar of Michigan.