Estate Planning Lawyer in Detroit, MI

Why do so many Detroit homes get stuck after a death?

Because the house passes down without the paperwork. More than 5,500 Detroit homes have been passed down without legal documentation, according to a 2024 Detroit Future City report. Without a recorded deed, the family often can't sell, refinance or get help with repairs.

For many Detroit families, the home is the single biggest thing they'll pass on. A Lady Bird deed, recorded properly, lets the house go straight to the person you choose without probate court, while you keep full control for the rest of your life. It's often the most affordable way to protect it. Where there are savings to protect from nursing home costs, we build the rest of the plan around it. Rutkowski Law Firm handles estate planning, living trusts, Lady Bird deeds, powers of attorney, Medicaid and nursing home planning, asset protection and guardianship and conservatorship.

The Asset Shield™ is the complete plan: your trust, deeds, powers of attorney and beneficiary forms, drafted, signed and funded so they work together.

What does "done for you" mean at Rutkowski Law Firm?

It means Detroit families leave with a finished plan, not a to-do list. We move your home and accounts into your trust, record your deed with the county, send the beneficiary-change forms and confirm in writing that your plan is done.

For most Detroit families that starts with the house: we prepare the Lady Bird deed, record it with the Wayne County Register of Deeds, and confirm it was recorded. Then we prepare your powers of attorney and see them signed with the witnesses or notary Michigan requires, so someone can act for you if you can't.

Most Michigan estate planning attorneys hand Detroit families a binder and leave the bank visits and county filings to them. An unfunded trust doesn't keep anything out of probate court, which is why we treat funding as part of the plan, not an extra. You won't leave with homework.

What if the family is already in a crisis?

Call us. Rutkowski Law Firm has turned around emergency powers of attorney by the next day, with a notary sent to wherever the parent is, such as a hospital room at Henry Ford Hospital or the Detroit Medical Center.

If a parent can no longer make decisions and there's no power of attorney in place, we handle guardianship and conservatorship. Our guardianship fee includes ongoing guidance and a yearly check-in, so the family isn't left on its own after the court date. If a parent already needs nursing home care, Michigan Medicaid looks back five years at gifts and transfers, so talk to us before moving any money. Crisis planning can often still protect part of the savings.

How does the process work?

Every Detroit plan follows the same four steps, and the Rutkowski Law Firm team stays with you through all of them: a Vision Consultation, a design meeting, the signing, and the funding. Nothing is left for you to finish on your own.

1. Vision Consultation. Chris Pletkovic or Josh Heppner from our Customer Success team asks what you're protecting and who you're protecting it for, then lays out the options that fit, with the price for each, before you decide anything.
2. Design. Our attorneys and paralegals, under founding attorney Michael L. Rutkowski, build the plan around your family, your property and your accounts.
3. Signing. By secure video with a notary, or in person at our Troy office.
4. Funding. We move your assets into the trust, record the deeds and deliver the finished documents.

You'll have a client portal for your matter, so you can see where things stand at any point. And we keep improving the process: Michael Rutkowski builds the firm's client management system himself, and the team keeps refining each step.

Schedule your Vision Consultation.

Do I have to come to an office?

No. Most Detroit families work with us entirely by secure video, including the signing. To meet face to face, we'll see you at our Troy office at 801 W. Big Beaver Road or our Rochester office at 312 East Street.

Phones are answered 24 hours a day; the offices are open weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Video also makes it easier to include brothers and sisters who live out of state, so everyone hears the same plan at the same time.

Which communities do you serve near Detroit?

We serve Detroit, Dearborn, Grosse Pointe, Hamtramck, Southfield and Livonia, and families anywhere in Michigan by video. Estates in this area are handled by the Wayne County Probate Court in Detroit.

Rutkowski Law Firm meets clients in person at its Troy and Rochester offices and works with families anywhere in Michigan by secure video.

See every area Rutkowski Law Firm serves.