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Elder law attorneys in Michigan focus on the legal issues facing aging adults and their families: Medicaid planning for long-term care, drafting and updating durable powers of attorney and healthcare directives, guardianship and conservatorship proceedings, special needs trusts, and asset protection. Many also handle probate and estate planning, but elder law is the specific subset focused on care planning and benefits eligibility. See the Michigan healthcare proxy and financial power of attorney forms.
Federal law (and Michigan's implementation) imposes a 5-year lookback period for Medicaid long-term care eligibility. Any uncompensated transfers (gifts, transfers to family members, transfers to a non-Medicaid-qualified trust) within the 5 years before applying for Medicaid can trigger a penalty period during which Medicaid won't pay for nursing home care. This is the main reason Medicaid planning needs to start years before care is actually needed — and the main reason elder law attorneys exist as a distinct practice area.
Estate planning attorneys in Michigan average $305 per hourClio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jan 1, 2025 for wills and estates work. Flat-fee packages run roughly $915–$1,830 for a simple individual will and $3,460–$5,190 for a basic revocable trust. Online and DIY services cost $30–$300 for the same documents — see the will cost calculator for a side-by-side comparison.
Michigan allows estates under $53,000 to use a simplified Affidavit of Decedent's Successor procedure, which is a form rather than a court case and typically doesn't require an attorney. For larger estates, formal probate is involved enough that retaining counsel is usually practical — the procedural work is what they're there for. Use the Michigan probate calculator to estimate the costs.
In Michigan, the situations where retaining counsel is typically worth the cost are: blended families with children from prior relationships; ownership of a business, rental property, or significant investment assets; special-needs dependents who need a special-needs trust to preserve benefits; substantial property held in multiple states. If none of these describe your situation, the simpler online and DIY tools are often enough.
Search 3,941 estate law firms across 51 states.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to discuss your situation and verify their current practice areas and availability.
27 firms
Cass City estate planning and elder law firm serving the Thumb of Michigan -- Tuscola, Huron, and Sanilac Counties -- since 1989. Handles Medicaid eligibility planning, disability planning, asset protection, estate settlement, and guardianship for minors and seniors.
Location
4415 S Seeger StreetCass City, MI 48726
Phone
(989) 872-5601
Established
1989
Service Area
3 counties
Troy estate planning and probate firm serving Southeast Michigan (Oakland, Wayne, Macomb) since 1970. Handles probate and estate administration, trust administration, probate litigation, special-needs planning, and elder law. Two generations of the Mayoras family lead the practice.
Location
1301 W Long Lake Road, Suite 340Troy, MI 48098
Phone
(248) 213-9514
Established
1970
Service Area
3 counties
Bingham Farms estate planning and probate firm serving Oakland County and metro Detroit since 1991. Handles probate administration, trust administration, and probate and trust litigation -- filing initial petitions, inventorying assets, resolving creditor claims, and defending contested estate plans.
Location
30100 Telegraph Road, Suite 360Bingham Farms, MI 48025
Phone
(248) 594-1919
Established
1991
Service Area
3 counties
Traverse City-based elder law, probate, estate planning, and special needs planning firm serving Northern Michigan. One of few Northern Michigan practitioners with resources for high-net-worth estate and tax planning, having drafted several hundred estate plans for clients with net worth from $100K to $100 million.
Location
107 Cass Street, Suite HTraverse City, MI 49684
Phone
(231) 714-9392
Service Area
5 counties
Holland law firm serving West Michigan with estate planning, probate, trust administration, and elder law services in Ottawa and Allegan Counties.
Location
321 Settlers RoadHolland, MI 49423
Phone
(616) 392-1821
Service Area
3 counties
Huntington Woods estate-and-probate firm serving Metro Detroit's Oakland, Wayne, and Macomb County probate courts. Handles contested and uncontested estate and trust administration, guardianships, conservatorships, and probate litigation including will contests, trust disputes, and breach-of-fiduciary-duty claims. Founder Howard Collens has practiced estate law for over 30 years.
Location
26311 Woodward AvenueHuntington Woods, MI 48070
Phone
(248) 545-2500
Established
2003
Service Area
7 counties
Downtown Jackson-based estate planning, probate, and trust litigation firm that has served individuals, families, and fiduciaries throughout southern Michigan for over 125 years. Founded by former Jackson County Probate Court Judge George H. Curtis.
Location
120 W Michigan Avenue, Suite 1500Jackson, MI 49201
Phone
(517) 787-9481
Established
1901
Service Area
3 counties
Brighton estate-planning and elder-law firm serving Livingston, Oakland, Wayne, and Washtenaw counties. Handles trust and will planning, Medicaid and long-term-care asset protection, and trust administration for families settling a relative's estate. Led by a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA), a credential held by only a small number of Michigan attorneys.
Location
8273 Grand River Road, Suite 220Brighton, MI 48114
Phone
(844) 885-4200
Service Area
4 counties
Grand Rapids and Northville firm practicing exclusively in estate planning and estate administration -- no other areas of law. Handles will and trust drafting, powers of attorney, probate, and trust settlement for West Michigan and metro Detroit families. Veteran- and woman-led.
Location
4251 Cascade Road SEGrand Rapids, MI 49546
Phone
(616) 361-2432
Iron Mountain law firm founded in 1978 serving the Upper Peninsula and Northeastern Wisconsin with over 40 years of experience in estate planning, probate, elder law, and trust administration.
Location
307 East C StreetIron Mountain, MI 49801
Phone
(906) 774-3808
Established
1978
Service Area
3 counties