Plan for the people and property that matter most.

Estate planning is about more than preparing documents. It is about protecting the people you care about, planning for the property you have built, and making sure the right people can step in when needed.

A plan tailored to your life.

No two families are exactly alike. Your estate plan should reflect your family, your property, your priorities, and the people you trust to carry out your wishes.

Wills & Trusts

Plan how your property will be managed and distributed, choose the people who will carry out your wishes, and create a plan appropriate for your family and circumstances.

Powers of Attorney

Choose someone you trust to manage financial and legal matters if illness, injury, or incapacity prevents you from handling them yourself.

Patient Advocate Designations

Name the person you trust to make medical decisions for you if you are unable to make or communicate those decisions yourself.

Cottages & Family Property

A cottage or family property often carries both financial and emotional significance. Thoughtful planning can address future ownership, management, expenses, use, and succession before those decisions become difficult for the next generation.

WILL OR TRUST?

Which estate plan is right for you?

Wills and revocable living trusts can both play an important role in an estate plan. The right approach depends on your family, your assets, how your property is titled, and what you want your plan to accomplish.

A Will

A will directs how probate assets are distributed at death, nominates a personal representative to administer the estate, and can nominate guardians for minor children. A will does not, by itself, avoid probate.

A Revocable Living Trust

A properly established and funded trust can provide for the management of assets during your lifetime and their distribution after death, often without probate administration for assets held in the trust. Trusts can also be useful when planning for incapacity, privacy, real estate, and continuing management for beneficiaries.

The right plan starts with your circumstances.


We help clients determine which structure makes sense for their circumstances rather than beginning with a particular document.

COTTAGES & FAMILY PROPERTY

Some property is worth planning for differently.

A Northern Michigan cottage or family property can be more than an asset. It may represent generations of memories, traditions, and time together. Keeping it in the family requires thinking ahead - not only about who will own it, but how it will be used, managed, maintained, and eventually passed on.

Ownership

Decide how the property should be owned now and after your death. The right structure can help address succession, decision-making, liability, and the transition from one generation to the next.

Use & Expenses

A good plan addresses the practical questions: Who can use the property? How are taxes, insurance, repairs, and improvements paid? What happens when family members disagree?

The Next Generation

Plan for what happens when children inherit—and eventually when grandchildren become involved. Thoughtful planning can provide a framework for keeping the property in the family while addressing changing circumstances.

The goal is not simply to transfer the cottage. It is to give the next generation a practical way to keep enjoying it together.

ESTATE PLANNING FAQ

Common questions about planning ahead.

Clear answers to some of the questions we frequently hear from Michigan families.

  • Most estate plans include a will, but whether a revocable living trust makes sense depends on your circumstances. A trust may be useful for avoiding probate for assets properly transferred to it, planning for incapacity, managing real estate, or providing continuing management for beneficiaries. The right approach depends on your family, assets, and goals.

  • An estate plan may include a will, revocable living trust, durable power of attorney, and patient advocate designation, along with beneficiary designations and appropriate planning for real estate and other assets. The documents should work together as part of an overall plan tailored to your circumstances.

  • A properly established and funded revocable living trust can generally avoid probate for assets held in the trust at death. Simply signing a trust is not enough - the ownership and beneficiary designations of your assets must be coordinated with the plan.

  • If you die without a valid will, Michigan law determines who receives property that passes through your probate estate. The probate court may also need to appoint someone to administer the estate. An estate plan allows you to make many of those decisions yourself rather than relying on the default rules.

  • Review your estate plan periodically and after significant changes such as marriage, divorce, a death in the family, the birth of a child or grandchild, a substantial change in assets, the purchase or sale of real estate, or a change in the people you have chosen to serve important roles.

  • Planning for a cottage often involves more than deciding who inherits it. A good plan considers future ownership, use, expenses, maintenance, decision-making, and what happens if a family member wants out. Addressing those issues in advance can make it easier for future generations to continue enjoying the property.

Plan for what matters most.

Estate planning starts with understanding your family, your property, and what you want to accomplish. We can help you consider your options and create a plan tailored to your circumstances.

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Cross + Compass, PLC · Petoskey, Michigan · Serving Northern Michigan