Who helps you?
Choose people to handle money and healthcare decisions if illness or an injury leaves you unable to act.
Start with the basics
What is estate planning?
Your decisions, written down for the people who may need to act for you.
A plan for when you cannot speak for yourself.
Estate planning is the process of putting your choices into a coordinated set of legal documents. Those documents explain who can act for you, how you want to be cared for, and what should happen to your property when you die.
You make the decisions while you can. Your plan gives the people you choose instructions and legal authority for the circumstances the documents cover.
Who depends on you?
Plan for children and other loved ones who may need care, support, or help managing an inheritance.
What happens next?
Decide who receives your property after death, who handles the work, and when an inheritance should be available.
The documents have different jobs.
You do not need to know which documents to ask for. Start with the decisions you want to make.
A will.
Gives instructions for property passing through your estate after death. It can name your personal representative and nominate a guardian for minor children, subject to the court’s appointment.
ExploreA trust.
Sets instructions for how a trustee manages and distributes property held in the trust. It can provide ongoing management during incapacity or for a beneficiary who needs support. Whether you need one depends on your circumstances.
ExploreA financial power of attorney.
Authorizes your chosen agent to handle the financial and legal matters the document covers. You decide the powers and when they begin; a durable power can continue if you become incapacitated.
ExploreA healthcare designation.
Names a patient advocate to make covered healthcare decisions when you cannot participate and the legal conditions are met. It can also record your treatment wishes. Information-sharing permissions help the right people obtain the records they need.
ExploreWhat this looks like in real life
Someone needs to know what to do.
Imagine you are in the hospital and temporarily cannot make decisions. Bills still need attention, and your doctors need someone with the appropriate authority to discuss your care. Your financial agent and patient advocate may be different people, each following the instructions and limits in the relevant document.
After death, different authority applies. Your personal representative handles your probate estate, and your trustee handles trust property. Your plan tells them who should receive what and whether someone should manage an inheritance over time.
A will alone does not give someone financial or medical authority while you are living. The documents need to work together.
The paperwork is part of the plan.
Account ownership, deeds, and beneficiary designations also affect how property passes. They need to fit your instructions. Signing a trust does not, by itself, move every asset into it.
The people you name need to know where the documents are and how to obtain them. Review the plan when your family, property, health, or chosen helpers change.
See what happens after signing ↗
Start with three questions.
- Who would I trust to help if I could not act?
- Who depends on me, and what would they need?
- What do I want to happen to what I own?
Bring your answers, concerns, and questions. We help turn them into a plan that fits your life.
Sources and further reading
- Michigan Legal Help: Making a Will in Michigan
- State Bar of Michigan: Durable Power of Attorney
- Michigan Legal Help: Making a Health Care Power of Attorney
- State Bar of Michigan: Probate and Estate Administration
Updated October 25, 2026. The hospital example is illustrative.
General education, not advice for an individual matter. Your circumstances and applicable law determine the documents and steps you need.
Ready to think about your own plan?
Explore what may matter for your family, or talk it through with us.
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