Educational guide — not legal advice. Costs vary by attorney and Michigan county. Always get a written engagement letter with the exact fee before any 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 | $200–$600 |
| Will + financial POA + patient advocate designation/living will (basic plan) | $500–$1,500 |
| Revocable living trust package (trust + pour-over will + POAs + directive) | $1,500–$3,500 |
| Complex plan (blended family, special needs, business, out-of-state property) | $3,500–$8,000+ |
| Online will (simple situation) | $0–$300 |
Metro Detroit and Ann Arbor run at the higher end; smaller Michigan markets run lower. Re-verify current quotes locally.
What each package includes
A basic will ($200–$600)
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 ($500–$1,500)
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 ($1,500–$3,500)
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 for a few hundred dollars. Ask whether trust funding is included.
A complex plan ($3,500–$8,000+)
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 (MCL 600.871), charged on the date-of-death value of the probate estate — roughly $363 on a $100,000 estate up to ~$1,175 on a $1 million estate.
- No statutory attorney or executor fee percentage — both are “reasonable compensation,” typically hourly.
- ~$175 filing fee, plus creditor-notice publication (~$100–$200).
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
For simple situations, online services (FreeWill, Trust & Will, LegalZoom, Quicken WillMaker) produce Michigan-compliant wills for $0–$300. They’re a good fit when your situation is straightforward and you can confidently answer a guided questionnaire.
Michigan also recognizes holographic (handwritten) wills if they’re dated, signed, and the material portions are in your handwriting — valid, but easy to get wrong, so a typed, witnessed will (or a good online will) is safer. 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
- Buy the plan you need, not the trust you don’t. For most Michiganders, the will-based plan plus a Lady Bird deed is enough.
- Use a Lady Bird deed for the home instead of a full trust when your situation is simple.
- Do the prep work — know your personal representative, guardians, and beneficiaries before meeting the attorney.
- Comparison-shop — flat-fee quotes vary across Michigan; get two or three.
- Keep beneficiary designations current — accounts pass outside probate for free, shrinking the inventory fee.
What the record shows
Reported Michigan attorney charges are $500–$1,500 for a will, financial power of attorney and patient advocate designation, and $1,500–$3,500 for a living trust package — sourced and dated above. 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.
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. A validly executed will is valid irrespective of who drafted it; 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?
Typically $1,500–$3,500 from an attorney for a full trust package, or $300–$600 online for a simple situation. Consider whether a Lady Bird deed would do the job for less.
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?
The plan cost ($200–$3,500) is what you pay now to create documents while you’re alive. Probate cost after death includes the inventory fee (up to ~$1,175+), filing fees, publication, and attorney time. 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.
Is a mental competency or witnessing requirement part of the cost?
No extra charge, but worth knowing: a valid Michigan will needs two witnesses (or must be a proper handwritten will), and you must be of sound mind when you sign. Attorney packages include a proper signing; if you DIY, follow the witnessing rules exactly. 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. Always get a 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.