Your family deserves a plan. We make it simple.
Protect the people you love and the life you’ve built. We take your matter personally — guiding Michigan families through wills, trusts, and powers of attorney with warmth, clarity, and genuine care. Most plans are complete in just one to two sessions.
Free consultationNo pressure18 Michigan locations
Estate planning is about more than documents. It’s about protecting the people you love — and the peace of mind that comes with knowing they’re cared for.
We take your matter personally.
Comprehensive Estate Planning
Every plan is tailored to your family, your assets, and your goals — and built to protect what matters most.
Trusts & Wills
The foundation of any Michigan estate plan — a customized will and living trust that keeps your family out of probate and ensures your wishes are honored.
Powers of Attorney
A durable financial power of attorney names someone you trust to manage your affairs if you become incapacitated — without a slow, costly court process.
Healthcare Directives
Designate a trusted person to make medical decisions on your behalf and put your end-of-life wishes in writing — removing impossible decisions from your family.
Deeds & Property Transfer
Transfer your home into a trust or to family — avoiding probate, title disputes, and Medicaid estate recovery. One of the highest-value steps in any plan.
Probate & Trust Administration
Compassionate, step-by-step guidance for families settling a loved one’s estate or administering a trust during a difficult time.
Elder Law
Protect the well-being and assets of loved ones facing long-term illness or disability, with planning that safeguards their care and their legacy.
How Much Does Estate Planning Cost in Michigan?
Clear, flat-fee pricing — so you know exactly what your plan costs before you commit to anything.
A solid foundation. Directs who inherits and who cares for your children — though your estate still passes through probate, which can be very costly and stressful for your loved ones.
- Last Will & Testament
- Financial Power of Attorney
- Healthcare Power of Attorney
- Names guardians for minor children
- Deed for primary home
A complete plan that keeps your family out of probate entirely — private, faster, and protected. The choice for most Michigan families.
- Revocable Living Trust (avoids probate)
- Pour-Over Will
- Financial Power of Attorney
- Healthcare Power of Attorney
- Names guardians for minor children
- Deed for primary home
- Trust Funding Guidance
- Digital Asset Directive
Every plan is quoted at your free consultation — no surprises, no hidden fees.
The Hidden Costs of Not Having a Trust
Without a trust, your estate goes through probate — a public court process that can cost your family time, money, privacy, and a whole lot of headaches. Here’s what that really means.
Very Costly
Attorney fees, court costs, and accounting can consume a large share of an estate — money that should have gone to your loved ones.
12 to 18 Months of Delay
Probate typically drags on for a year or more, leaving your family unable to access what you left them when they may need it most.
Everything Becomes Public
Probate is a public court record. Your assets, your debts, and everyone who inherits become visible to anyone who may want to lay claim to your estate — including distant relatives, creditors, or strangers.
The State May Decide
Without a plan, Michigan law decides who inherits — which can mean unintended heirs receive your assets, and the people you would have chose don’t.
Family Stress While Grieving
Your loved ones are left to navigate court deadlines, paperwork, and legal proceedings during the saddest time of their lives.
Don’t make attorneys your biggest heir.
A trust costs a fraction of what probate can — and spares your family of unneeded burden.
Protect Your Loved Ones
Will or trust — which does your family need?
Answer a few quick questions and get a personalized recommendation for your situation.
Life changes. Your plan should keep up.
Estate planning isn’t about one moment — it’s a reflection of what is happening in your life right now. Whatever situation you’re in, we can help.
Young Families
The single most important step for parents: naming a guardian for your minor children. As your family grows, your plan needs to grow with it. We help you name the right guardians, update beneficiaries, and keep the people you trust in charge.
Growing Wealth
Minimize taxes and shield assets so your wealth transfers exactly as you intend — privately and efficiently.
Homeowners
Keep your largest asset out of probate — protected from title disputes and Medicaid estate recovery through proper deed planning and a funded trust.
Retirement
Make sure everything is in order — your wishes documented, healthcare covered, legacy secured — and enjoy the next chapter with confidence.
Blended Families
Provide for children from previous relationships, current partners, and everyone you love — exactly as you wish, avoiding conflict and unintended disinheritance.
Change in Marital Status
Marriage and divorce each change who your plan should protect and how. Beneficiaries, powers of attorney, and your estate plan may all need updating so they reflect your life today, not the life you had before.
Loss of a Loved One
Losing a spouse or loved one often means your own plan needs attention — from re-titling assets to updating beneficiaries. We’re here to help you navigate it with empathy.
Illness or Disability
The right documents — healthcare proxies, powers of attorney, and trusts — ensure your wishes are honored. A discretionary trust can even preserve government benefits for a special needs child or government assistance for a loved one.
Not sure where you fit? That’s okay.
Whatever your situation, we’ll help you find the right plan for your life.
Schedule a Free ConsultationA complete plan — not just a stack of documents.
Every Shea Law estate plan is comprehensive. We don’t stop at signing: we provide detailed instructions and guidance to ensure your trust is properly funded and your assets are titled correctly, so your plan actually works when your family needs it.
Start Your PlanDeep Empathy. Deep Expertise.
50,000+ Plans, and Counting
For more than two decades, Shea Law has drafted estate plans for Michigan families. That experience means our attorneys have seen virtually every situation — and know how to plan for yours.
We Take Your Matter Personally
A four-generation, family-led firm, we treat every client like one of our own. High-level estate planning shouldn’t feel cold or corporate — it should feel like family looking out for family.
We Guide You Through Funding
Most firms stop at signing. We provide detailed instructions and guidance to make sure your trust is properly funded and your assets are titled correctly — because an unfunded trust protects nothing.
Accessible to Everyone
Meet in person at any of our 18 Michigan locations, or by Zoom — whichever fits your schedule. High-quality estate planning, made affordable and approachable for every family.
Simple, Supportive, and Done for You
A Conversation, Not an Interrogation
We start by listening. You tell us about your family, your assets, and your goals. No pressure, no jargon — just a straightforward conversation.
Your Plan, Built Around Your Family
We draft a complete estate plan tailored to your situation: wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives — all to protect the people you love.
Signed, Protected, and Done
You sign at any of our locations or via remote signing, whichever works for you. Then we guide you through funding your trust so your plan actually protects what matters.
Most families complete their estate plan in just one to two sessions.
Recognized Among Michigan’s Best
Founder David J. Shea has been recognized as a Top 100 Super Lawyer in Michigan. Shea Law’s attorneys have ranked in the top 5% by Super Lawyers, and the firm is recognized by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as a leading family-led firm — expert counsel that stays genuinely personal.
Trusted by Michigan Families
Let’s protect what matters most.
Reach out for a free, no-pressure consultation. We’ll listen to your situation, answer your questions, and help you build a plan around your family — no obligation.
- Free consultation, no obligation
- In person at 18 Michigan locations, or by Zoom
- We respond within one business day
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The best gift you can leave your family is an estate plan.
Start Your Plan TodayFree consultation · 18 Michigan locations · Most plans complete in one to two sessions