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A living trust in Michigan costs $2,500 – $5,000 attorney-drafted, $3,000 – $7,000 for a couple’s full plan, or $100–$600 online. Compare the cost of preparing and funding the trust with an itemized probate estimate for your assets. A fee schedule alone does not establish what your family would save.
For a straightforward Michigan estate, online is a reasonable route.
If your assets are in Michigan only, with no blended family and no estate-tax exposure, an online service like Trust & Will produces a complete Michigan trust in about an hour.
Disclosure: we earn a commission if you buy through the Trust & Will links here, at no extra cost to you. Complex situations belong with an attorney and we say so below.
Michigan Living Trust Cost (2026)
| What You’re Paying For | Michigan Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Online trust service | $100 – $600 | Michigan-specific documents; funding is on you |
| Simple will (attorney) | $1,200 – $2,000 | Does not avoid probate |
| Living trust, attorney-drafted | $2,500 – $5,000 | Individual, straightforward assets |
| Full estate plan (couple) | $3,000 – $7,000 | Trust + will + POA + directive |
| Complex / tax planning | $5,000 – $10,000+ | Irrevocable, Medicaid, business, estate tax |
| Deed transfer into trust | $150 – $400 per property | Every Michigan property needs one |
Typical flat fees reported by Michigan attorneys and legal directories, reviewed quarterly. A guide, not a quote.
How to estimate probate costs in Michigan
For a useful probate estimate, ask for an itemized quote based on the assets that actually require administration. Keep court charges, professional compensation, taxes, and the cost of creating a trust separate.
| Ask about | What the estimate should explain |
|---|---|
| Court and filing charges | Which procedure is needed, the current court fee schedule, and any later filings. |
| Executor or administrator compensation | The applicable fee rule, the assets included in its calculation, and whether compensation will be claimed. |
| Attorney fees | The billing method, work included, and charges for disputes or unusual assets. |
| Other administration expenses | Whether publication, bond, appraisals, accounting, tax preparation, or property sales add costs. |
This is a quote checklist, not a statewide price schedule. Trust-drafting prices, inheritance-tax rates, and a spouse’s inheritance share do not belong in a probate-fee total.
For other state rules and transfer options, see our Michigan estate planning guide.
What each price point buys in Michigan
- $100–$600 (online): A valid Michigan trust document, pour-over will, and directives. You do the funding — every Michigan deed transfer, every account retitling.
- $2,500 – $5,000 (attorney, individual): Custom drafting, review of how your assets are titled, and usually one deed included. Confirm that last part before you sign.
- $3,000 – $7,000 (attorney, couple): Adds marital property planning.
Does your estate even need probate in Michigan?
Before paying for anything, check whether Michigan would require full probate at all. The state’s simplified route: Available under MCL 700.3983 for estates at or below the threshold Estates that fit under it can often transfer by affidavit or summary procedure, with no personal representative and no attorney — which makes a trust a convenience decision rather than a cost-avoidance one. For assets that do require administration, request a quote for the applicable procedure.
Trust vs. probate in Michigan
| Consideration | With a funded living trust | Assets requiring probate |
|---|---|---|
| Costs to compare | Document preparation, asset transfers, later updates, and administration after death. Ask separately about trustee, legal, and accounting charges. | Court charges, executor or administrator compensation, legal fees, and other administration expenses. Request an itemized estimate. |
| Timing | Ask how debts, taxes, property sales, and distributions affect the settlement schedule; avoid assuming an immediate payout. | Ask about the required court process, creditor deadlines, and any sales or disputes that could delay closing. |
| Records | Ordinary trust administration generally takes place outside probate court; a court dispute can still create public records. | Probate involves court filings; ask the court which records are public. |
Compare the same assets and services on both sides. A trust’s purchase price alone is not its lifetime cost, and assets left outside the trust may still need probate. See how to fund a trust.
Only need a will? See what a valid Michigan will requires and costs — and why Michigan’s intestacy formula gives your children a share even in a first marriage.
Online or Michigan Attorney?
| Situation | Route |
|---|---|
| Assets only in Michigan, standard estate | Online service |
| Property in 2+ states, blended family, business | Attorney |
The dividing line is funding, not drafting. Online documents are valid in Michigan; what they don’t do is retitle your assets. See funding your trust.
Other Michigan rules that affect the plan
- Medicaid protection: — irrevocable trusts funded 5+ years before application can protect assets from the 60-month lookback
- Directed trust: — Michigan adopted the Uniform Directed Trust Act (MCL 700.7703a, effective March 2019); family retains investment control, trustee handles administration
- Decanting available: — trustee can modify trust terms by distributing to a new trust (MCL 700.7820a, effective 2012)
- DAPT available: — Michigan’s Qualified Dispositions in Trust Act (MCL 700.1042-700.1051, effective 2017) allows self-settled asset protection trusts
- 360-year trusts: for personal property (MCL 554.91-554.94); real property limited to 90-year USRAP vesting period
- Governing law: Estates and Protected Individuals Code (EPIC), Act 386 of 1998
- No state estate tax: (effectively zero since January 1, 2005)
- No state inheritance tax: (only applies to deaths on or before Sept 30, 1993)
- State income tax: Flat 4.25% (applies to trusts at same rate)
- Real estate transfer tax: $8.60 per $1,000 of value (0.86% combined state + county)
- Tenancy by the entirety: Recognized for married couples
- TOD deeds: Not available for real property
Recent Michigan Changes Worth Knowing
- July 1, 2024 — Uniform Power of Attorney Act Takes Effect: Act 187 of 2023 replaced Michigan’s prior 5-section EPIC provisions with a comprehensive 47-section framework. Includes a statutory form for creating durable powers of attorney. Prior valid POAs remain effective.
- February 2024 — EPIC Omnibus Modernization: Bipartisan legislation signed by Governor Whitmer updated estate, trust, and probate provisions that hadn’t been revised in decades. Included cost-of-living adjustments for small estate thresholds.
- Small Estate Threshold: Increased to $51,000 for deaths in 2025 (adjusted annually for cost of living).
- No Changes to Tax Rules: Michigan continues to have no state estate tax (effectively zero since 2005), no inheritance tax, and no gift tax. The flat 4.25% state income tax rate remains unchanged.
- Federal — One Big Beautiful Bill Act (July 2025): Made the $15 million per-person federal estate tax exemption permanent. With no state estate tax and a $15M federal threshold, very few Michigan families face any estate tax.
Living trust costs in nearby states
Attorney pricing and probate rules shift at the state line — compare Michigan with Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois.
When to Hire A Michigan Attorney
Online stops being the right answer when the estate has moving parts: property in more than one state, a blended family, a business, or anyone you intend to exclude.
- Get two or three flat-fee quotes. Identical work varies by $1,000+ inside one metro.
- Ask what’s included. Deed transfers run $150–$400 each and are often quoted separately.
- Don’t buy complexity you don’t have.
Three ways to pay less in Michigan
- Compare two or three flat-fee quotes. Identical Michigan trust packages vary by $1,000 or more inside the same metro, and almost nobody shops it.
- Count the deeds before comparing prices. At $150–$400 apiece, with properties in multiple counties each needing their own recorded transfer, a quote including one deed can beat a cheaper quote including none.
- Check the simplified threshold first. Available under MCL 700.3983 for estates at or below the threshold If your estate clears that, you may be buying convenience rather than savings.
Official sources: legislature.mi.gov · legislature.mi.gov · legislature.mi.gov · legislature.mi.gov
FAQ
How much does a living trust cost in Michigan?
$2,500 – $5,000 attorney-drafted, $3,000 – $7,000 for a couple’s full estate plan, or $100 to $600 through an online service. Add $150 to $400 per property for the deed transfers that fund it.
Is a living trust worth it in Michigan?
It depends on your assets, family needs, and the transfers available without probate. Compare document preparation, funding, and later trust administration with an itemized probate estimate for the same assets. A trust does not guarantee a particular dollar saving.
Can I make my own living trust in Michigan?
Yes — online services produce valid Michigan documents. The risk is funding: a trust that doesn’t hold title to your home doesn’t avoid probate for it.
Can a small estate skip probate in Michigan?
Often, yes. Michigan’s simplified threshold: Available under MCL 700.3983 for estates at or below the threshold Estates under it may transfer without full administration, which changes whether a trust is worth paying for.
How long does probate take in Michigan?
The timetable depends on the procedure, creditor deadlines, taxes, property sales, and any disputes. Ask for an estimate based on the actual estate. A funded trust may avoid probate for trust assets, but settling the trust still takes time.
If the online route fits your situation, Trust & Will’s trust plan covers Michigan and takes about an hour.
More: Living trust costs nationwide · Michigan estate planning guide · Funding your trust
Probate-cost sections corrected September 10, 2026. Other state-rule sections last updated August 2026. Educational information, not legal advice or a quote.