Grand Rapids and Livonia estate firm started in 1994 by former Navy JAG attorney John Tamboer. For executors it obtains letters of authority and handles the notices and court filings to the end of the case; for successor trustees it handles private trust settlement, retitling and beneficiary notices, and it files small-estate petitions. The first administration consultation is free.
Grand Rapids is in Kent County.
Probate in Kent County
Probate Court Record
Kent County Probate Court
Kent County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
180 Ottawa Avenue Northwest, Suite 2500, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Website
Filing in person
Walk-ins accepted
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Kent County →
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Kent County? →Settling an estate in Kent County →
Forms for Planning Your Estate in Michigan
Free forms for planning your estate in Michigan: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form for Michigan.
$12/month
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
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Free
Pour-Over Will
In Michigan, a pour-over will is signed before 2MCL 700.2502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.
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Free
Transfer on Death Deed
Transfer real property to a beneficiary upon your death without probate. Available in 34 states and the District of Columbia.
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Free
Last Will and Testament
In Michigan, a will is signed before 2MCL 700.2502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyMCL 700.2502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
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Tools for Planning Your Estate in Michigan
Free tools for planning your estate in Michigan: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for Michigan and read its answer.
Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
In Michigan, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 1.7%Modeled estimate under MCR 5.313(A) (attorney entitled to reasonable compensation; MRPC 1.5(a) factors); MCL 700.3721 (court reviews reasonableness of attorney compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.7%Modeled estimate under MCR 5.313(A) (attorney entitled to reasonable compensation; MRPC 1.5(a) factors); MCL 700.3721 (court reviews reasonableness of attorney compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.
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How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in Michigan runs $3,460Estimate: 10 hours at $346, Clio's Michigan Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $5,190Estimate: 15 hours at $346, Clio's Michigan Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
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Do I Need a TOD Deed?
Michigan does not authorize transfer on death deeds; sole-name real property goes through probate, at least 5 months for a simple estate, unless held in a trust or with a right of survivorship.
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Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?
Michigan automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceMCL 700.2807Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.
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