Michigan · Estate & Probate
The Michigan Wills, Trusts & Estates Guide
Understand Michigan's unique estate laws, from probate flexibility and Lady Bird deeds to creating a valid will, trust, or power of attorney.
2026-2027 Edition · Cited to Michigan law · Plain language
Paperback · $19.99
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Add-on: Texas Wills & Powers of Attorney Pack · $39.99
Eleven editable forms that go with this guide, including a will, financial and medical powers of attorney and a living will, with a signing guide. Instant download; Word and PDF.
✓ Free bonus toolkit: register your book after purchase and download checklists, worksheets and a starter template for this topic.
Cited to the statute · Legal information, not legal advice
How wills, trusts, and estate plans work in Michigan
Will requirements, holographic wills, living trusts, Lady Bird deeds, powers of attorney, patient advocate designations, and intestate succession.
ABOUT THIS BOOK
Michigan gives people wide control over how their property passes, through the Estates and Protected Individuals Code (EPIC). The Michigan Wills, Trusts & Estates Guide explains the tools Michigan law provides and how each one works.
The guide starts with where Michigan differs from most states: no state estate or inheritance tax, recognition of handwritten (holographic) wills that meet MCL 700.2502(2), wide use of the Lady Bird or enhanced life estate deed, and informal probate as the common path for uncontested estates. It also explains that Michigan does not recognize common law marriages formed in the state since 1957.
Inside, the guide explains:
• Will requirements, witnesses, and self-proving affidavits
• Revocable trusts and the Michigan Trust Code, including decanting
• Financial powers of attorney under the Uniform Power of Attorney Act
• The patient advocate designation for health care decisions
• Intestate succession when there is no will
• Duties of personal representatives and trustees
The guide is written for the person making a plan and for the executor, trustee, or beneficiary. Checklists, comparison tables, a glossary, and questions to ask an attorney round out the Toolkit.
Legal information, not legal advice.
WHAT’S INSIDE
- The Foundation: Michigan's Estates and Protected Individuals Code (EPIC)
- Your Last Will and Testament in Michigan
- Using Trusts in Michigan Estate Planning
- Planning for Incapacity: Powers of Attorney and Deeds
- Exceptions, Challenges, and Defenses
- Rights of the Executor, Trustee, or Beneficiary
- Step-by-step procedures from each side, with deadlines at a glance
- 24 real-world questions and answers
- Statute index, key court decisions and official forms
- Toolkit: checklists, comparison tables, glossary and common mistakes to avoid
WHY READERS TRUST THIS GUIDE
Plain language. Cited to the statute. Dated so you know it is current.
Every rule is cited to Michigan law so you can verify it.
Cited, so you can check it
Every rule names the section of Michigan law it comes from, so you can read the source yourself.
Plain language, no filler
Written to be read start to finish by someone with no legal training, with worked examples.
Dated and updated
Each guide carries a law-current date and new editions ship when the law changes.
Bonus toolkit
Register your book for this topic’s checklists, worksheets and starter template, as soon as they are ready.
QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU BUY
Michigan will requirements: what to know before you order.
Straight answers about what the guide is, what it covers and how it reaches you.
How many witnesses does a will need in Michigan?
A standard Michigan will needs at least two witnesses under MCL 700.2502. Notarization is not required for validity. The guide also explains self-proving and handwritten wills.
What is a Lady Bird deed in Michigan?
It is an enhanced life estate deed. The owner keeps control of the property for life, and it passes to the named beneficiary at death without probate. The guide explains how it works.
Is this legal advice?
No. It is legal information in plain language, cited to the law, so you understand your options and know what to ask. Reading it creates no attorney-client relationship.
Is it written for Michigan?
Yes. This guide is written for Michigan law and cites the Michigan statutes and rules it relies on. If your case is in another state, choose that state's edition.
KEEP GOING
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PLEASE READ
Legal information, not legal advice. STACKED LEGAL® is a publisher, not a law firm. Buying or reading this book creates no attorney-client relationship and promises no outcome. Laws change; verify current law and talk to a licensed attorney in Michigan about your situation.
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