The Estate Planning Guide Est. 2026

How Much Does a Will Cost in Michigan?

By The Estate Planning Guide Editorial Team Researched against primary sources

Published June 11, 2026 6 min read

Quick answer

A simple will in Michigan typically costs $300 to $900 with an attorney, and $0 to $150 online. Michigan recognizes handwritten (holographic) wills, so a basic will can cost nothing — but a witnessed, self-proved will is easier to probate. And a will is cheap because it directs your estate through probate (including Michigan's inventory fee) rather than avoiding it.

⚠️ Educational information only — not legal, tax, or financial advice.

The figures on this page are general estimates. Laws, fees, thresholds, and prices differ by state and change often, and your own situation may change the result. Before you act, confirm the current numbers and rules for Michigan with a licensed professional — an attorney, tax advisor, or licensed agent as appropriate. Reading this page does not create a professional relationship.

What a will costs in Michigan

How you make it Typical cost in Michigan Best for
Attorney-drafted $300 to $900 Most people; anything with children, property, or blended families
Online will service $0 to $150 Simple estates, clear beneficiaries
Pure DIY / handwritten $0 Rarely the best idea — easy to get wrong

Illustrative Michigan pricing as of 2026 — re-verify with current quotes. Attorney quotes are often for a small package (the will plus financial and healthcare powers of attorney), not the will alone.

A simple will in Michigan is genuinely inexpensive — $300 to $900 with an attorney, and as little as $0 online. The price is low for a reason: a will is a relatively simple document. The cost climbs only when your situation is complicated — minor children and a guardianship decision, a blended family, a business, or potential estate tax.

What makes a will valid in Michigan

A standard Michigan will must be signed by you and by two witnesses within a reasonable time of seeing you sign (MCL §700.2502).

The witnesses should be disinterested — that is, not people who inherit under the will — so no one can later argue they had a reason to lie about the signing. Get that one detail wrong and the gift to an interested witness (or the whole will) can be challenged.

Can you write your own will by hand in Michigan?

Michigan recognizes holographic (handwritten) wills — valid if dated and signed, with the material portions in your handwriting, even without witnesses (MCL §700.2502). A witnessed, self-proved will is still simpler.

Even where a handwritten will is legal, it’s the riskiest way to do it: no witnesses means no one to confirm it was really you and that you weren’t pressured, and ambiguous handwriting is a gift to anyone who wants to contest it. A typed, witnessed, self-proved will costs very little and avoids all of that.

The self-proving affidavit (a small step that saves a big headache)

Michigan allows a will to be made self-proving with a notarized acknowledgment, so the witnesses generally don't have to appear at probate (MCL §700.2504).

Without it, your witnesses may have to be tracked down years later to confirm they watched you sign — which can be impossible if they’ve moved, lost touch, or died. It’s one of the cheapest, highest-value things you can add to a will.

What a will does not do in Michigan

A will directs an estate through probate; it does not remove assets from it. A will tells the Michigan probate court who receives what and who administers the estate. Property governed by the will still passes through probate — the court-supervised, public process.

The cost of the document and the cost of probate are therefore separate figures. For what probate itself costs in Michigan, see How Much Does Probate Cost in Michigan?.

What passes outside probate in Michigan

Assets transfer outside probate only by operation of law or contract, regardless of what a will says. The recognised mechanisms are:

A will has no effect on any asset transferred by these routes. For the Michigan figures on the trust alternative, see How Much Does a Living Trust Cost in Michigan?, and for the documented differences between the two instruments, Will vs. Trust: How They Differ.

What affects the price in Michigan

Published pricing varies with these factors:

  • Preparation route. Online will services are the lower end of the range; attorney drafting is the upper end. Michigan-specific forms and a self-proving affidavit are not included by every service.
  • Bundling. A will, a financial power of attorney, and a healthcare directive are commonly quoted together at less than the sum of their separate prices. The power of attorney and directive operate during life; a will operates only at death.
  • Estate complexity. Minor children, blended families, business interests, special-needs beneficiaries, and estate-tax exposure are the factors attorneys cite for higher quoted fees.

What the record shows

Item Michigan
Attorney-drafted simple will $300 – $900
Governing statutes MCL §700.2502 (execution / holographic); MCL §700.2504 (self-proof)
State authority Michigan Courts (courts.michigan.gov)

A will directs an estate through probate and does not remove assets from it. Execution requirements, the treatment of handwritten wills, and the self-proving affidavit rules for Michigan are set out above with their statutory citations. Figures reflect published 2026 pricing and should be re-verified against live quotes.

Will costs in other states

Compare Michigan with what a will costs in other states:

This page explains will costs and validity rules in Michigan in general terms as of 2026. It is not legal advice; statutes and figures change and depend on your situation. Confirm current rules with a licensed Michigan attorney. Cost figures reflect published 2026 attorney and online-service pricing and should be re-verified with live quotes. Sources: Michigan Courts (courts.michigan.gov); MCL §700.2502 (execution / holographic), MCL §700.2504 (self-proof).

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