Is the first consultation really free?

Yes. There is no fee for your initial attorney consultation and no obligation to move forward. You only pay if you decide to have Shea Law build your estate plan, and you will know the cost before any work begins.

Do I need a will or a trust?

It depends mainly on what you own and whether avoiding probate matters to you. A will directs who inherits and who becomes guardian of minor children, but it still goes through the Washtenaw County Probate Court. A revocable living trust generally avoids probate and stays private, which often favors homeowners in Ann Arbor.

Do I have to come into the Ann Arbor office?

No. You are welcome at 2400 Green Road in Ann Arbor, but Shea Law also handles consultations by Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Document signing requires specific formalities that your attorney will walk you through.

How long does an estate plan take?

Most estate plans are complete within 30 days of the attorney meeting. Timing depends mostly on how quickly you gather asset information and settle decisions such as guardians and successor trustees.

What should I bring to my first estate planning meeting?

Nothing is required for the first conversation. It helps to have a rough list of what you own, including real estate, retirement accounts, life insurance and business interests, plus any existing will or trust and your thoughts on who you would want as guardian, executor or trustee.

I already have a will from years ago. Is it still valid?

Possibly, but it is worth reviewing. Marriage, divorce, births, deaths, moving to Michigan from another state, buying a new home, or changes to the federal estate tax exemption can all undercut an older plan.

Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 24, 2026

Shea Law Firm, PLLC, doing business as Shea Law (“Shea Law,” “the Firm,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), is a law firm headquartered at 26100 American Drive, Suite 200, Southfield, Michigan 48034. This Privacy Policy has four parts:

Part 1: Our Website covers shealaw.com and its subdomains, including our landing pages at estateplans.shealaw.com (together, the “Website”). We use the Website to share information about the Firm and our services.

Part 2: Client Portal covers our confidential client portal, where clients complete our estate planning worksheets. The portal is not tracked by analytics or advertising tools.

Part 3: Text Messaging covers text messages we send to clients and prospective clients.

Part 4: General covers terms that apply throughout.

Part 1: Our Website

Information We Collect

Information you provide to us. When you fill out a contact form, sign up for our newsletter, or register for a seminar or event, you may provide your name, email address, phone number, mailing address, and your communication preferences.

Information collected automatically. When you visit our Website, we and our service providers automatically collect certain information, such as your IP address, browser type, device type, pages visited, time spent on pages, referring website, and general location derived from your IP address.

Cookies, Analytics, and Advertising

Our Website uses cookies and similar technologies, including:

Essential cookies, which make the Website function and keep it secure.

Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager, which run across the Website to help us understand how visitors move through it. These tools record which pages you visit, including whether you go from our Website to our client portal. They do not run inside the portal and do not collect the information you enter there.

The Meta Pixel, which is used only on our separate landing pages at estateplans.shealaw.com to measure the effectiveness of our advertising and show relevant ads to people who have visited those pages. Our landing pages do not host or link to our client portal. The Meta Pixel does not run inside the portal and does not collect the information you enter there in any form.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. You can opt out of Google Analytics at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout and manage ad preferences through your Meta account settings or through the Digital Advertising Alliance at optout.aboutads.info. Our Website does not currently respond to “Do Not Track” browser signals.

How We Use Website Information

We use information collected through the Website to:

Respond to your inquiries, schedule consultations, and evaluate potential representation, including checking for conflicts of interest.

Send newsletters and invitations to seminars and events, if you have not opted out.

Understand how our Website is used and improve it and our advertising.

Operate and secure the Website.

Comply with our legal and professional obligations.

How We Share Website Information

We do not sell your personal information for money. We share Website information only as follows:

Service providers. We use technology providers that store, process, or deliver information on our behalf, such as for website hosting and email marketing. They are contractually restricted from using it for any purpose other than providing their services to us.

Analytics and advertising partners. Google collects information about how visitors use our Website, and Meta collects information about visits to our landing pages. These companies may use this information under their own privacy policies, and Meta may use it to show you ads. Under some state laws, this may be considered “selling” or “sharing” personal information for advertising.

With your consent or at your direction.

As required by law. We may disclose information when required by law, court order, or subpoena.

Email Communications

We may send newsletters and invitations to seminars and events. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any such email. Even if you unsubscribe, we will continue to send communications related to your legal matter.

No Attorney-Client Relationship Through the Website

Using this Website, submitting a contact form, or contacting us by email, phone, or text does not by itself create an attorney-client relationship. An attorney-client relationship is formed only when the Firm agrees to represent you, typically through a signed retainer agreement. Please do not send confidential details about a legal matter through our Website forms.

Part 2: Client Portal

Our client portal is a confidential area where you log in to complete our estate planning worksheets if you become a client. We may add features to the portal over time, such as secure document storage and appointment scheduling. Everything in this Part applies to every feature of the portal.

Not tracked. We do not use analytics or advertising tools in the portal. Google and Meta do not run there, and nothing you enter in the portal is shared for marketing or advertising.

What the portal collects. The portal collects your account information and sign-in activity, which we use to keep your account secure. Our worksheets ask for information such as your date of birth, the names and ages of your children and other family members, the people you choose as beneficiaries, trustees, guardians, and agents, and your health care and end-of-life wishes. If you give us information about another person, you agree that you are providing it so that we can provide legal services to you.

Governed by your retainer agreement. If you become a client, how we handle information you enter in the portal is governed by your retainer agreement. If your retainer agreement conflicts with this Policy, your retainer agreement controls.

Prospective clients. If you begin our worksheets before signing a retainer, the information you provide is kept confidential, consistent with our professional obligations to prospective clients, even if you do not ultimately retain the Firm.

Your account. You are responsible for keeping your login credentials confidential and for notifying us promptly if you believe your account has been accessed without permission.

Part 3: Text Messaging

If you consent to receive text messages from Shea Law, we collect your mobile phone number, your consent record, and the content and history of messages exchanged with us. We use this information only to send the messages you agreed to receive, such as appointment reminders, scheduling communications, document requests, and updates about your matter, and to respond to your replies. If you separately consent through a form on our Website, we may also send messages about our services, such as consultation follow-ups and invitations to seminars and events. These marketing messages are a separate program with their own consent, and opting out of one program does not require opting out of the other. Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply.

No mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. The categories of sharing described elsewhere in this Policy exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties. Our text messaging service providers process your mobile number and messages on our behalf solely to deliver text messages and are not permitted to use them for any other purpose.

You may opt out at any time by replying STOP to any message, or reply HELP for help. For more information, please see our SMS Terms.

Part 4: General

Data Security

We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information, including encryption of data in transit and at rest, multi-factor authentication, and role-based access controls. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. If we become aware of a security incident affecting your personal information, we will notify you as required by law and our professional obligations.

Data Retention

We keep personal information as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Policy and to meet our legal and professional obligations.

Your Choices and Rights

You may contact us to request access to or correction of personal information you have provided, or to update your communication preferences. We may need to keep certain information to meet our legal and professional obligations. Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights under applicable state law. Contact us using the information below, and we will respond as the law requires.

Children’s Privacy

Our Website and client portal are not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 18. Information about minors that parents or guardians provide through our client portal is protected as described in Part 2. If you believe a child has submitted personal information to us directly, please contact us so we can delete it.

Links to Other Websites

Our Website may link to websites we do not operate. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites, and we encourage you to review their privacy policies.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes take effect when posted on this page with an updated “Last updated” date. For material changes, we will post a prominent notice on the Website. We will not use personal information we previously collected in a materially different way than described at the time of collection without your consent.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

Shea Law Firm, PLLC
26100 American Drive, Suite 200
Southfield, Michigan 48034
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 248-354-0224