Michigan allows informal probate, so many families settle straightforward estates in Wayne County without hiring an attorney. A probate attorney earns the fee when the estate is contested, includes a business or out-of-state real estate, has unclear or insolvent debts, or when beneficiaries disagree.
Probate attorney fees in Michigan are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask a Wayne County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Probate Court, publishes the required creditor notices, prepares the inventory and accounting, handles creditor claims and tax filings, and guides the final distribution. They represent the personal representative — not the beneficiaries — a distinction that matters if a dispute develops.
FirmTroy, MI
Serves 2 counties
Troy and Dearborn firm serving Detroit-area families from offices in Oakland and Wayne Counties. Prepares wills, trusts, financial and health care powers of attorney, living wills and advance directives, and represents clients at probate hearings when an estate is contested or has no plan. A small boutique whose estate work sits beside its employment and civil-rights practice.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbatePowers Of AttorneyWills Trusts
- Office
- 888 W Big Beaver Road, Suite 350Troy, MI 48084
FirmBingham Farms, MI
Serves 3 counties
Bingham Farms firm that has guided Detroit and Oakland County families through probate for nearly three decades. Handles each stage of probate from the initial petition and asset inventory to creditor claims and distribution, administers trusts, and litigates will contests and probate and trust disputes. Guardianship, conservatorship and mediation round out the practice.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 4 more
- Office
- 30100 Telegraph Road, Suite 360Bingham Farms, MI 48025
FirmDetroit, MI
Since 1854 · Serves 7 counties
Detroit firm, in practice since 1854, with estate offices in Detroit, Troy, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Grand Rapids and southwest Michigan. Represents personal representatives, trustees and beneficiaries in estate, trust, guardianship and conservatorship administration, will contests, trust litigation, fiduciary tax returns and estate tax audits, including estates over $100 million.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 6 more
- Office
- 150 W Jefferson Avenue, Suite 100Detroit, MI 48226
Solo PracticeBrighton, MI
Serves 5 counties
Brighton estate-planning and elder-law practice with meeting offices in Ann Arbor, Bloomfield Hills, Okemos, Livonia and Novi, plus virtual meetings. Prepares wills and trusts meant to keep an estate out of probate and plans for Medicaid and nursing-home costs. Founder Christopher J. Berry is one of 18 Certified Elder Law Attorneys (CELA) in Michigan.
PracticesEstate PlanningElder LawTax PlanningAsset Protectionand 2 more
- Office
- 8273 Grand River Road, Suite 220Brighton, MI 48114
Solo PracticeSt. Clair Shores, MI
Since 1973 · Serves 3 counties
St. Clair Shores firm on Little Mack Avenue, formed in 1973, serving Macomb, Wayne and Oakland County families. Represents personal representatives defending an estate and relatives challenging a will or trust on grounds of incapacity, undue influence, a later document or an omitted beneficiary, and establishes guardianships and conservatorships. Ronald J. Cherf is the firm's active attorney.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbate LitigationTrust LitigationConservatorshipand 3 more
- Office
- 25400 Little Mack AvenueSt. Clair Shores, MI 48081
FirmHuntington Woods, MI
Serves 7 counties
Huntington Woods estate-and-probate firm practicing in the Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston, Monroe, Washtenaw and St. Clair County probate courts. Handles contested and uncontested probate and trust administration, guardianships and conservatorships, and litigation over wills, trusts and breach of fiduciary duty. Offers a free phone consultation.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 6 more
- Office
- 26311 Woodward AvenueHuntington Woods, MI 48070
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to verify their current practice areas and availability.
