Trusted estate planning attorneys serving Troy, MI and surrounding Oakland County communities for over 45 years.

If you’re trying to plan your estate or settle a loved one’s affairs in Troy, you may be dealing with paperwork, family dynamics, and real uncertainty about what comes next. A Troy, MI estate planning lawyer from our office can provide you with over four decades of experience. We handle each matter with the attention it deserves. When you’re ready to get started, contact Gudeman & Associates, P.C. to schedule a consultation.

Estate Planning Attorney Troy, MI

What does an estate planning attorney actually do? At its core, estate planning is about making decisions now so that others don’t have to make them for you later. It covers who receives your property, who makes medical decisions if you can’t, who manages your finances during incapacity, and how your affairs get wrapped up when you pass.

Many people put this off because they assume it’s only for the wealthy or the elderly. It isn’t. If you own anything, have children, or have opinions about your medical care, you have reasons to plan. A Troy estate planning attorney helps you understand your options under Michigan law and put documents in place that actually hold up when they’re needed.

Types of Estate Planning Cases We Handle in Troy

We work with Troy residents and families throughout Oakland County on a broad range of estate planning matters. Every situation is different, and the documents that make sense for one family may not be the right fit for another.

• Wills. A will directs how your property is distributed after your death and names who carries out those instructions. For parents of minor children, it also allows you to designate a guardian. Without a valid will, Michigan’s intestacy laws control the outcome, and that outcome may not reflect what you would have chosen.
• Revocable living trusts. A trust transfers assets to a separate legal entity managed by a trustee for the benefit of your named beneficiaries. Trusts can help your family avoid probate, provide for a child with special needs, and in some cases offer a degree of creditor protection. We work with revocable living trusts and other trust arrangements depending on what your situation calls for.
• Powers of attorney. A durable power of attorney designates someone to manage your financial affairs if you become incapacitated. Without one, your family may have to seek court authority to act on your behalf. We also prepare health care powers of attorney, which authorize a trusted person to make medical decisions if you cannot.
• Living wills. A living will sets out your preferences for end-of-life medical treatment. It spares your family from having to make those calls in an already painful moment and gives your medical providers clear direction.
• Special needs planning. Families with a disabled loved one need to plan carefully to preserve eligibility for government benefits while still providing financial support. A properly structured special needs trust addresses both concerns.
• Asset protection planning. For business owners and individuals with significant assets, structuring matters. We advise on strategies that can help shield property from future claims while remaining within the bounds of Michigan law, including family LLC planning where appropriate.
• Medicaid planning. Long-term care costs can deplete a lifetime of savings quickly. We help older Michigan residents think through Medicaid eligibility and asset structuring well before a crisis forces the issue.
• Conservatorship. When someone can no longer manage their own finances and no power of attorney exists, a conservatorship may be the only path forward. We guide families through that process in the Michigan probate court system.

Why Choose Gudeman & Associates, P.C. for Estate Planning in Troy?

Edward J. Gudeman is the founder and managing attorney of Gudeman & Associates, P.C. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School in 1971 and has been admitted to practice in Michigan since 1973. He is also admitted before the United States Tax Court and the U.S. Supreme Court. Before opening his own firm, he worked in the tax department at Arthur Andersen in Detroit, which is where his focus on tax-integrated planning began.

For Troy residents seeking an estate planning attorney in Troy, that combination of estate planning and tax law experience is meaningful. Wills and trusts don’t exist in a vacuum. How assets are titled, how beneficiaries are designated, and how a trust is structured all carry tax implications. We take those into account from the start.

A Practice Built on Estate Planning From the Beginning

Gudeman & Associates, P.C. has focused on estate planning, business law, and taxation for over 45 years. Mr. Gudeman has been a member of the State Bar of Michigan since 1973 and has worked with thousands of individuals and families across southeastern Michigan. He graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in 1968 before going on to law school, and he is the proud father of three children, including a set of twins.

What Our Clients Say

“My husband and I used Gudeman Law to do our estate planning. Everyone there went above and beyond to help us through this stressful experience and put us at ease. Absolutely highly recommend this caring company. 100% satisfied.” — Sandy DeLaGarza

Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.

Troy Estate Planning Infographic

Understanding Estate Planning in Troy

Key Estate Planning Documents and What They Do

Estate planning involves a set of legal documents, each serving a specific function. No single document does everything, and most complete plans involve several working together.

• Last will and testament. Directs the distribution of your probate estate and names a personal representative to carry out your wishes.
• Revocable living trust. Holds assets during your lifetime and transfers them to beneficiaries outside of probate upon your death. You retain control as the trustee while you’re alive and capable.
• Durable power of attorney. Authorizes an agent to handle financial matters on your behalf. “Durable” means it remains effective even if you become incapacitated.
• Health care power of attorney. Names someone to make medical decisions on your behalf when you cannot make them yourself.
• Beneficiary designations. Retirement accounts, life insurance, and certain bank accounts transfer outside of your will entirely. Keeping these current is a critical and often overlooked part of any plan.

Important Aspects of Your Estate Plan

The documents themselves are only part of the picture. Several practical considerations affect how well an estate plan actually functions.

• Funding your trust. A revocable living trust only controls assets that have been properly transferred into it. An unfunded or partially funded trust may leave your family facing the probate process you were trying to avoid.
• Coordination with beneficiary designations. A will doesn’t control who receives your 401(k) or life insurance. Those assets go to whoever is named on the account, regardless of what your will says.
• Regular updates. Marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, a death in the family, or a significant change in assets can make an existing plan outdated.
• Choosing the right fiduciaries. Your personal representative, trustee, and agent under a power of attorney carry real responsibility. Choosing someone capable and trustworthy matters as much as the documents themselves.

Estate Planning Timeline

The time it takes to complete an estate plan varies depending on complexity, but most clients can expect the following general process.

• Initial consultation to discuss your goals, family situation, assets, and concerns
• Information gathering, including an asset inventory, beneficiary decisions, and fiduciary appointments
• Draft documents prepared and sent to you for review, typically within a few weeks
• Review period for corrections, questions, and any changes
• Signing appointment with proper execution formalities under Michigan law
• Follow-up steps such as trust funding and beneficiary designation updates

For most clients with straightforward circumstances, the full process takes four to eight weeks. More complex plans involving business interests, blended families, or special needs considerations may take longer.

What to Bring to Your Estate Planning Consultation

Coming prepared helps us make the most of your time together. Before your consultation, gather the following if possible.

• A general list of your assets, including real estate, bank accounts, retirement accounts, life insurance policies, and any business interests
• Names and contact information for people you’re considering as personal representative, trustee, or agent under a power of attorney
• Names and ages of any beneficiaries, particularly minor children
• Any existing estate planning documents you already have in place
• Questions about specific concerns, such as a blended family situation, a child with special needs, or a family business

You don’t need to have everything perfectly organized. We’ll work through the details together. The goal of the first meeting is to understand your situation and give you a clear picture of what a plan would involve for you specifically.

Michigan Legal Resources for Estate Planning

Michigan residents have access to a number of resources when researching estate planning law and requirements.

• Michigan Probate Court Forms: Official estate and trust forms from the Michigan Supreme Court Administrative Office, covering the full range of probate proceedings.
• Michigan Medicaid: Information on Medicaid eligibility and long-term care planning resources in Michigan.
• Michigan Advance Directive Resources: State guidance on durable powers of attorney for health care, living wills, and patient advocate designations in Michigan.
• U.S. Department of Labor — Retirement Plans: Federal guidance on retirement plan beneficiary designations, relevant to coordinating estate plans with 401(k) and pension accounts.
• Social Security Administration — Benefits Planners: Resources on Social Security benefits, survivor planning, and considerations relevant to estate and retirement planning.

Schedule a Consultation With Gudeman & Associates, P.C.

If you’re ready to put an estate plan in place or have questions about where to start, we’re here to help. Gudeman & Associates, P.C. has worked with Troy families and individuals across Oakland County for over 45 years. Contact our office to schedule a consultation with an estate planning lawyer in Troy, MI.

Estate Planning Statistics in Troy, MI

About 17.8% of Troy’s roughly 87,000 residents are 65 or older, based on Census figures. The owner-occupied housing rate is 74.2%, and the median value of an owner-occupied home is around $396,800. Read together, those numbers point to a large group of residents who own real property and are at an age when decisions about that property, and about who will manage it, start to carry real weight. Estate planning puts those decisions in writing before they become urgent, which is the work we do every day as an estate planning attorney in Troy, MI.

Factors That Affect the Outcome of Your Estate Planning Case

Two estate plans can use the same documents and produce very different results. The difference usually comes down to the details. An estate plan is the product of many decisions, and the choices you make along the way shape how well it holds up when it’s actually needed. These are the factors Troy estate planning attorneys watch most closely.

• How clearly your wishes are written. Vague language invites disagreement. When a document can be read two ways, the people you leave behind are the ones who end up arguing over which reading you intended. Precise drafting closes those gaps. It also makes a plan harder to attack, which matters a great deal when a relative is unhappy with what they received.
• Whether the plan can withstand a challenge. A will or trust can be contested on grounds like lack of capacity or undue influence. Plans created carefully, with the proper signing formalities and clear records, are far more difficult to overturn. We think about how a document would hold up under scrutiny while we’re drafting it, not after a dispute has already started.
• How your business and property interests are coordinated. Owning a company or holding real estate in more than one name adds moving parts, and a plan that ignores them can come apart. For owners, a business succession strategy keeps a company running when control changes hands, and a family partnership can be a useful structure for holding and passing down shared assets. These pieces need to fit with the rest of the plan rather than sit beside it.
• Tax exposure. Most Troy estates owe nothing in estate tax, but how assets are titled and transferred still changes what beneficiaries ultimately keep. Our reading of Michigan estate tax rules informs how we structure each plan, especially for clients with larger or more complicated estates. Getting the structure right early is far easier than fixing it later.
• The people who carry out the plan. Naming someone is the easy part. The role itself is demanding. A personal representative or trustee takes on real fiduciary obligations, including duties to keep accurate accounts, to act in good faith, and to put beneficiaries ahead of their own interests. A plan works better when the people you name understand what they’re agreeing to before they agree to it.
• What administration will look like. Every plan eventually has to be carried out. Whether your assets pass through probate or through trust administration affects how long the process takes, how much it costs, and how much privacy your family keeps. Building the plan with that end in mind tends to produce the smoothest result for the people doing the work after you’re gone.

Troy Estate Planning Lawyer FAQs

Here are answers to the questions we hear most often as a Troy estate planning lawyer.

How much does an estate plan cost in Troy?

Cost depends on what your situation calls for. A straightforward will-based plan involves less work than a trust-centered plan with business interests or special needs provisions. We don’t quote one flat number for everyone, because the documents that fit one family aren’t the ones that fit another. What we can do is begin with a no-obligation consultation, look at your circumstances, and explain what your plan would involve before you commit to anything.

Do I need a trust, or is a will enough?

A will directs who receives your property and names someone to carry out your wishes. A trust can hold assets during your life and pass them outside of probate. Many Troy families use wills and trusts together. Which combination makes sense depends on what you own, whether you have minor children, and how much you’d like to keep private. We walk through the trade-offs with you.

Will my estate have to go through probate?

Not necessarily. Assets held in a properly funded trust, jointly owned property, and accounts with named beneficiaries generally pass outside of probate. Assets in your name alone usually do not. If probate is required, the Oakland County Probate Court oversees it, and the Michigan courts self-help center outlines what the process involves. A well-built plan can reduce how much of your estate goes through that process, which often saves your family both time and expense.

Does Michigan have an estate or inheritance tax?

No. Michigan does not impose a state estate tax or an inheritance tax, and most estates fall well below the federal estate tax threshold, so they owe nothing at the federal level either. That doesn’t make taxes irrelevant. Income tax basis, the timing of gifts, and retirement account rules can all affect your beneficiaries. Thoughtful tax planning is part of how we approach larger estates.

What happens if I die without a will in Michigan?

Your property still gets distributed, just not by you. Michigan’s intestacy rules set a default order, generally favoring a spouse and children. Those defaults may not match what you would have chosen, especially in a blended family or when you’d want to provide for a partner, a friend, or a charity. The court also decides who administers the estate. A will lets you make those calls yourself.

Who should serve as my personal representative or trustee?

Choose someone organized, trustworthy, and willing. The job carries weight. Whoever you name will manage money, keep records, communicate with beneficiaries, and meet legal deadlines. It helps to name a primary and a backup, and to ask the person before you list them. We talk through the responsibilities so your choice is an informed one rather than a guess made on the spot.

Can someone challenge my will or trust after I’m gone?

It’s possible. Disappointed heirs sometimes raise will contests, arguing the document wasn’t valid or that the person was pressured into signing. Challenges are much harder to win when a plan was prepared properly, signed with the right formalities, and well documented. If you’re worried about a particular relationship, tell us. We can build in features that lower the odds of a fight and protect what you intended.

What is the difference between a guardian and a conservator?

They cover different needs. A guardian makes personal and medical decisions for someone who can’t make them alone. A conservator manages that person’s money and property. One person can serve in both roles, or you can split them. Understanding guardianship and conservatorship helps when you’re planning for a parent, a disabled adult child, or your own possible incapacity.

Local Information for Troy, MI Estate Planning Cases

Troy sits in Oakland County, and that’s where the local pieces of estate planning in Troy come together. When a resident’s estate is administered, the county’s probate court has authority over the matter. Knowing where to turn, whether you’re planning ahead or stepping into a role after a loss, makes the process feel less daunting.

Oakland County Probate Court and Local Resources

The Oakland County Probate Court handles decedent estates, will safekeeping, trusts, guardianships, and conservatorships for people who lived in or owned property within the county. It’s located at 1200 N. Telegraph Road in Pontiac. The court is a busy one, processing thousands of new filings every year, so calling ahead or checking the current filing requirements before you go can save you a trip.

What Are Important Local Resources for Troy Estate Planning?

A few public resources are useful to Troy families building an estate plan or settling one.

• Oakland County Probate Court. 1200 N. Telegraph Road, Pontiac, MI 48341. Phone: (248) 858-0260. Handles probate of estates, will safekeeping, trust matters, guardianships, and conservatorships for Oakland County residents.
• Aging and Adult Services. Michigan’s Bureau of Aging, Community Living, and Supports. Phone: (517) 241-4100. Provides information on long-term care, in-home support, and programs for older adults and their caregivers.
• Financial caregiver guides. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s free booklets for agents under a power of attorney, trustees, and others managing someone else’s money and property.

Gudeman & Associates, P.C. provides these references for general information only. We are not affiliated with these organizations, and listing them is not an endorsement.

About Gudeman & Associates, P.C.

Gudeman & Associates, P.C. is led by Edward J. Gudeman, who has practiced law in Michigan since 1973 and is admitted before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. That depth of federal and state court experience shapes how the firm approaches estate planning for Troy families, from straightforward wills to complex, tax-sensitive estates.

What Our Clients Say

★★★★★

“The entire team at Gudeman,s was extremely helpful during the entire process of navigating us through the Estate Planning. Would highly recommend!”

Debby Haynes

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Contact Gudeman & Associates, P.C.

Putting an estate plan in place is one of the more considerate things you can do for the people you love, and we work to make it manageable. Your first conversation with a Troy estate planning attorney at our firm is a no-obligation consultation, where we listen to your situation, answer your questions, and lay out what a plan would involve for you specifically. When you’re ready to take the next step, contact us and we’ll find a time that works, whether that’s by phone, by video, or in person.