What is crisis planning?

Crisis planning is emergency legal planning for families facing urgent, time-sensitive situations due to illness, injury, or sudden decline. It focuses on quickly putting critical documents and protections in place before legal options are lost.

Is it too late to do estate planning in a crisis?

Not always. In many situations, important documents like powers of attorney, deeds, and trust updates can still be completed—sometimes within 24 hours—if the person is legally able to sign. The sooner you act, the more options may still be available.

How fast can crisis planning really be done?

In emergency situations, Steps 1–4 of our six-step process are often completed in less than 24 hours. This includes consultation, strategy, document drafting, and execution. Funding and beneficiary updates follow immediately after signing.

What if my loved one is in the hospital or cannot come to your office?

We regularly coordinate hospital, home, and facility signings, including mobile and after-hours notaries when appropriate. Our goal is to bring the legal process to you whenever possible.

What happens if documents can't be signed in time?

If documents cannot be executed due to incapacity or medical limitations, we immediately shift to helping the family navigate next steps—often probate or court involvement—so you are not left without guidance or support.

Who should contact the firm in a crisis—the parent or the adult child?

Either can start the process. Adult children often reach out first during a crisis. We'll quickly determine who needs to be involved, who has legal authority, and what steps can move forward right away.

Can you help if there is no existing estate plan?

Yes. Many crisis situations involve little or no prior planning. We focus first on what can be done immediately, then help families understand longer-term planning options once the situation stabilizes.

Does crisis planning include Medicaid or long-term care concerns?

It can. When appropriate, crisis planning may include Medicaid eligibility, asset protection, and long-term care strategies—especially when nursing home or assisted living care may be imminent.

How do we get started with crisis planning right now?

The fastest way to start is to call our office directly or request an immediate call back. Let our team know you are facing a time-sensitive situation so we can prioritize your case and begin next steps right away.

Call: 248-792-9193

Michigan Crisis Planning & Emergency Legal Services

Emergency Crisis Planning When Time Is Not on Your Side

When illness, injury, or sudden decline leaves families with hours—or days—to act, Rutkowski Law Firm provides experienced, rapid-response legal planning. In many cases, we can restructure critical estate planning documents within 24 hours.

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Family supporting a loved one in a hospital setting

Real Crisis Planning Stories

When Every Hour Matters

These are real, time-sensitive situations where families needed immediate legal action. This is what crisis planning looks like in practice.

Emergency Deed Planning

“By 6:00 p.m. Monday, it was complete.”

A family called over the weekend—dad wasn’t doing well and they urgently needed a Lady Bird Deed. By 6:00 p.m. Monday, it was completed, including a mobile notary sent out within 90 minutes as the family was located in the middle of nowhere.

Outcome: Home protected through expedited deed planning

12-Hour Crisis Execution

“Even when time ran out, the family wasn’t left alone.”

A father came in after a broken leg led to a stage-four bone cancer diagnosis. Our full six-step crisis planning process was executed within 12 hours. Despite three attempts, documents could not be signed due to pain and incapacitation. We immediately transitioned to supporting the son through probate.

Outcome: Rapid planning attempt + seamless probate support

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Immediate, Experienced Legal Help

How We Help Families in a Crisis

Crisis planning is for families facing urgent, time-sensitive legal decisions. Whether a loved one is hospitalized, incapacitated, or rapidly declining, delays can permanently limit your options. We move quickly and coordinate the details—often with same-day planning, mobile notaries, and expedited execution—so you can protect your family when it matters most.

Rapid Response & Clear Next Steps: We quickly assess what’s possible, what’s urgent, and what needs to happen first—so you’re not guessing.
Emergency Powers of Attorney: Financial and medical decision-making documents prepared and executed fast—before incapacity closes the window.
Urgent Deed & Estate Plan Updates: Time-sensitive planning for Lady Bird Deeds, trusts, wills, and key corrections when timing is critical.
Mobile Notary & Expedited Execution: We coordinate notarization and signing logistics, including mobile options when families are far from an office.
Medicaid Crisis Planning: Strategic, time-sensitive planning to protect assets while addressing urgent long-term care needs.
Probate Support When Planning Isn’t Possible: If documents can’t be executed in time, we guide your family through probate with experience and compassion.

Attorney speaking with family in a calm, supportive setting

Trusted by Over 450 Clients with a 4.9 Star Rating

Petty Ishak-Bernard

Highly recommend, fair cost for excellent estate plan. The firm set-up our Trusts and Will in 2018 with one of the attorneys at an affordable cost for a very comprehensive documents. Just had the 2nd follow up review (at no costs) with Mike Rutkowski who was very thorough and clear in addressing all our questions and concerns. The documents created initially was so robust that no legal updates needed yet so far since no changes in beneficiaries took place. "Normal" future family changes (additional kids and grand children) were predicted and covered that made maintaining the document is relatively easy and at no additional cost. Also been getting news letters that keep me educated of estate planning related topics. Thank you Mike for helping us protecting our family's future when we can no longer do it. Appreciate you.

Jennifer Bruns

Very professional and supportive as I moved through the estate planning process. Great communication and very easy to work with. They were upfront about the fee schedule. I highly recommend this firm.

Book Initial Consultation: 248-792-9193

Our Six-Step Crisis Planning Process — Built for Urgent Situations

In emergency situations, Steps 1–4 are often completed in less than 24 hours, depending on capacity and logistics. These steps establish legal authority, execute critical documents, and put protections in place as quickly as possible.

Funding and beneficiary updates begin immediately after execution and continue as quickly as financial institutions allow—prioritizing the assets that matter most for avoiding probate.

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Step 1

Book Initial Consultation

Connect with our Customer Success Team by phone or online
Call immediately or request a rapid call-back
Crisis situations are prioritized

Step 2

Initial Call With Our Legal Team

Review your situation, goals, family dynamics, and assets
We listen without judgment and explain options in plain English
Immediate triage of what can realistically be done within your timeline

Step 3

Strategy & Plan Design

Compare wills, trusts, probate avoidance, and asset protection options
Address tax, Medicaid, and long-term care considerations as needed
You receive a clear action plan with steps, timelines, and expected outcomes

Step 4

Plan Implementation (Often Under 24 Hours)

Draft and review required legal documents immediately
Coordinate signing logistics (in-office, virtual, or mobile notary)
Execute documents as quickly as your situation allows

Step 5

Funding & Beneficiaries — Prioritized and Ongoing

Funding does not happen all at once in a crisis
We immediately prioritize assets that pose the greatest probate risk, such as real estate
Beneficiary updates are completed where possible, with remaining transfers coordinated as institutions allow
An unfunded plan can fail — our role is to guide funding so your plan works in practice

Step 6

Ongoing Support

Review changes in health, family, assets, or law
Update your plan as circumstances evolve
A long-term legal partner for you and your family

Estate Planning Guide

Estate Planning is an essential process that will protect your assets and ensure you’re your estate is distributed according to your wishes after your death.

Many people make mistakes when creating their estate plan, which can lead to unnecessary stress, confusion, and costly legal battles for their loved ones. Below, our estate planning team put together the top 10 and most common mistakes we see in estate planning.

Screenshot of Top 10 Estate Planning Mistakes

Common Questions About Crisis Planning

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Guiding the Firm, Protecting Families

Whether you need a will, trust, asset protection plan or are in need of medicaid crisis planning, our team is here to help! We are dedicated to providing you with the best legal representation possible. Call us today to book your consultation.

Meet the Whole Team

Request a Consultation

With offices in Rochester and Bloomfield Hills, we’re proud to serve families throughout Michigan. Prefer virtual? We offer video consultations for estate planning, so you can plan from the comfort of home.

Please fill in the form and one of our customer service representatives will be in touch first thing on the next business day.

If you'd rather book a discovery call so you know exactly when to expect a call from our customer success agents, you're welcome to click the link below and find a time that works best for you.

Schedule Discovery Call

“Their whole team was amazing to work with! The attorneys were very knowledgeable and made it easy to understand. We chose virtual planning process option because it was so much more convenient with my work schedule but they offered to meet in person too of we didn't do zoom. Highly Recommended!”

Whitney Ollila