How to Start Your Estate Plan

An estate plan is a comprehensive set of documents to help you plan for incapacity, post-death distribution of property, asset protection, and many other objectives. We offer 6 types of "Core Estate Plans" that are suitable for all Michigan residents. Core Estate Plans provide the best estate planning value when compared to purchasing wills, trusts, powers of attorney, or other documents separately. 

We can help you decide what kind of estate planning documents that you need. There is no cost or obligation for our initial consultation. Select the button below to review our Core Estate Plans.  

We offer a wide variety of estate planning documents and services. Select the button below to review a comprehensives list, including fees. If you have any questions, please feel free to call our office.

Estate planning is a highly complex area of law, and errors can lead to significant and costly consequences for your loved ones. While DIY options may seem simple and affordable, they often fail to provide the personalization and legal protection needed for most situations. Professional estate planning provides personalized, legally sound strategies that can save your family time, money, and stress in the long run.

These are just a few of the reasons to choose us for your estate planning attorneys:

• Depth of Experience:  EPLG has been providing estate planning services since 1994.  Since that time, we have assisted thousands of people with estate planning and estate administration. Attorneys John Tamboer, Sandy O'Brien, and Michelle Lupanoff have personally advised and represented thousands of clients on a variety of legal matters. We will apply all of our experience to your estate plan.  

• Proven Integrity:   We value the relationship with each of our clients, and it is common for us to have served serve multiple generations in the same family.  Many accountants, financial advisors, and other professionals have also relied on us for many years to provide clear and objective guidance for their clients.  These long term relationships are proof that we always put our clients first.

• Excellent Value:  We continually work on our systems and processes to improve the quality of services while keeping costs low for our clients.  The use of do-it-yourself forms has lead to disastrous consequences for many people.  We can speak from years of experience when we tell our clients that estate planning is too complex to go it alone.  As a result, we strive to make our services affordable. 

• Constant Research:  We provide documents and services that you will not find anywhere else. In fact, most estate planning attorneys use forms that they have purchased from a software company. These documents are usually created by non-attorneys who are not familiar with the nuances of Michigan law. For this reason, we spend countless hours to research and draft proprietary documents that are easy to understand, and comply specifically with Michigan law.  Our research and revisions never cease as the law changes.  

• Singular Focus: We are dedicated to the practice of law as it relates to all aspects of estate planning and estate administration.  Our focus allows us to adjust quickly to new statutes, rules, and regulations.  We do not handle matters in any other area of law.  As a result, we constantly update and improve our processes to ensure that we are providing the best services possible.

• Personal Service:  Our small size means that we provide you with personal attention.  Once you retain us, we want you to be a client for life.

These are the steps to complete your documents at our office:

1. Schedule a consultation at our office in Grand Rapids or Northville.
2. Complete an estate planning worksheet on this website.
3. Meet with an attorney to discuss your estate plan.
4. Review your documents at home by using our online portal.
5. Sign your documents at our office. 
6. Follow our instructions to implement your plan. 

This process can be completed as quickly as you need, but it typically takes 2-4 weeks.