Michigan Probate Avoidance Law Firm
Protect Your Family. Avoid Probate Hassles.
At Rutkowski Law Firm, we help Michigan families keep their loved ones out of court, avoid costly delays, and preserve privacy with strategic probate avoidance planning.
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Real Life, Real Lessons
How Probate Chaos Could Have Been Avoided
Without a proper estate plan or a trust in place, the courts had no choice but to move forward. What followed was two years of emotional disputes, missing paperwork, thousands in legal fees, and deep family divisions that may never heal.
All of it could have been avoided with even a simple plan. Don't let the court or circumstances decide your family's future. Protect what matters while you still can.
Give Your Loved Ones the Gift of Peace
Avoid Probate in Michigan with a Thoughtful Plan
Probate can be a long, expensive, and stressful process. We help families avoid probate through customized strategies like living trusts, proper titling, and clear beneficiary designations—keeping your affairs private and your family protected.
- Proactive, Personalized Planning :
- Every estate plan we create is tailored to your assets, your goals, and your family’s future.
- Create a Revocable Living Trust :
- Transfer assets to a trust to pass them directly to your beneficiaries without probate.
- Title Property Correctly :
- Use strategies like joint ownership and transfer-on-death deeds to avoid probate for real estate.
- Update Beneficiary Designations :
- Ensure your retirement accounts, insurance policies, and other assets have the right beneficiaries.
Who Especially Needs to Avoid Probate?
Is Probate Avoidance Right for You?
- Own a Home or Real Estate :
- Protect your property from public court proceedings.
- Have Minor Children :
- Ensure guardianship and financial support are clearly directed.
- Want Privacy About Your Assets :
- Keep family finances and distributions private.
- Want to Minimize Stress for Loved Ones :
- Give your family a smooth, private, and affordable transition.
Comparison
Avoiding Probate vs. Facing Probate
A little planning now can make a big difference later. Here’s how having a probate avoidance strategy compares to going through the probate court system.
Timeframe for Distributing Assets
With an Estate Plan: Weeks to a few months — quick, smooth process for loved ones
Without a Plan (Through Probate): 6 months to 2+ years — long court delays and required filings
Cost to Family
With an Estate Plan: Minimal or no court costs
Without a Plan (Through Probate): 3% to 10% of the estate value lost to legal fees and court costs
Privacy
With an Estate Plan: Fully private — no public records or court involvement
Without a Plan (Through Probate): Fully public — anyone can access court filings and estate details
Stress and Emotional Burden
With an Estate Plan: Low — clear plan followed without court intervention
Without a Plan (Through Probate): High — stressful court deadlines, hearings, and confusion
Control Over Who Inherits
With an Estate Plan: You decide — assets go exactly where you choose
Without a Plan (Through Probate): Court decides based on Michigan intestacy laws if no valid will
Our Process for Helping Families Avoid Probate
From your first call to fully funding your plan, we make the probate avoidance process clear, simple, and focused on your family’s peace of mind.
Discovery Consultation
- Learn about your family, your assets, and your goals
- Identify risks and opportunities to avoid probate
- Outline a preliminary plan together
Customized Planning and Setup
- Draft trusts, deeds, and documents needed to bypass probate
- Help you update beneficiary designations and retitle assets
Ongoing Support and Maintenance
- Periodic reviews to update plans if your life or the law changes
- Always available for questions and guidance
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.
Common Questions About Avoiding Probate
Meet Your Leadership Team
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.
“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!”
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