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Probate in Michigan typically costs 2%–4% of the estate value in attorney feesMCL 700.3721 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Jun 19, 2026, plus court filing fees, executor compensation, publication costs, and any required surety bond. Attorney fees in Michigan are negotiated, so the actual cost depends on the firm and complexity. Total all-in costs typically run 3-8% of estate value. The Michigan probate calculator gives a detailed estimate based on estate value.
Michigan allows "independent administration" (sometimes called unsupervised or informal probate), which lets the executor handle most estate decisions without ongoing court approval. The executor still files the will, inventories assets, and reports to the court, but doesn't need a hearing for routine actions like paying bills or selling assets. Independent administration typically saves both time and attorney fees compared to supervised probate.
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 4,014 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.
65 firms
Boutique Troy firm helping metro Detroit families in Oakland, Wayne, and Macomb Counties establish wills, trusts, financial and health care powers of attorney, living wills, and advance health care directives.
Location
888 W Big Beaver Road, Suite 350Troy, MI 48084
Phone
(248) 918-4542
Service Area
3 counties
Ludington solo law firm offering estate planning (wills, trusts, probate administration, powers of attorney, guardianship for minor children), real estate, business, and immigration law to clients in Mason County and surrounding West Michigan shoreline communities.
Location
202 S Harrison StreetLudington, MI 49431
Phone
(231) 425-4444
Service Area
4 counties
Downtown Bay City firm serving the Great Lakes Bay Region (Bay, Saginaw, Midland) since 1945. Handles estate planning, probate administration, and trust administration, alongside contested estate proceedings and general civil litigation. Long-established Tri-Cities practice with attorneys active in the Bay County Bar Association.
Location
703 Washington Avenue, Suite 200Bay City, MI 48708
Phone
(989) 892-0591
Service Area
4 counties
Long-established Escanaba firm founded in 1941, among the oldest in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Handles probate, wills and trusts, and trust administration alongside civil litigation, real estate, and corporate work for Delta County and surrounding UP communities.
Location
816 Ludington StreetEscanaba, MI 49829
Phone
(906) 786-4422
Established
1941
Service Area
4 counties
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
Southwest Michigan law firm providing counsel regarding estate planning, estate and trust administration, adult guardianship and conservatorship, and business law in Berrien County.
Location
1211 E Napier AvenueBenton Harbor, MI 49022
Phone
(269) 926-6135
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
Sault Ste. Marie and Marquette law office practicing trust and estate law since 1985. Handles wills, trusts, probate administration, formal accounting of estates and trusts, probate appeals, and trust and estate litigation including will contests, undue influence challenges, fiduciary misconduct, and creditor claims throughout Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Location
402 Ashmun StreetSault Ste. Marie, MI 49783
Phone
(906) 632-1118
Established
1985
Service Area
5 counties