Home/Estate Planning
Wills, powers of attorney & deeds

Avoid probate.
Ease their burden.

Put your wishes in writing. Choose the people you trust. Give your loved ones a clearer path when they need it most.

YOUR WISHES. PEOPLE YOU TRUST.
Your estateA will
Your financesA financial power of attorney
Your healthcareA patient advocate designation
A coordinated plan for different decisions.
FROM INTENTIONS TO A PLAN
01Discuss your wishes

Family, priorities, and concerns.

02Choose trusted people

Financial and healthcare roles.

03Coordinate the details

Documents, assets, and beneficiaries.

Serving Waterford, West Branch, and clients across Michigan through Bagley & Langan, PLLC. Meet your Michigan attorney.

Adults reviewing estate planning documents at a table
A thoughtful plan starts with your wishes and the people you trust.Illustrative image · Not an actual client or case

Make avoiding probate
part of your plan.

Planning ahead is a gift to the people you love. My aim is to help structure your estate to avoid probate where possible, reduce unnecessary complications, and ease the burden on your loved ones.

Wills

A will records your wishes for property passing through your estate and names the person you want to carry them out. We can discuss your family, your priorities, and the people you trust.

View sample will
ILLUSTRATIVE SAMPLE · NOT FOR SIGNING

Last Will & Testament

Sample Client · State of Michigan

  1. Declaration

    I declare this document to be my Last Will and Testament.

  2. Personal representative

    I nominate my chosen personal representative, with an alternate to serve if needed.

  3. Distribution of my estate

    My estate is to be distributed according to the beneficiaries and provisions stated in my completed will.

Execution
Testator’s signature
Date
Witness attestation

The completed will includes the witnesses’ attestation to the signing or acknowledgment.

Witness 1 · Signature & date
Witness 2 · Signature & date
Witness 1 · Printed name
Witness 2 · Printed name
Abbreviated illustration showing a conventional witnessed will, including two witness signature blocks. Not a complete or executable will. A will alone does not avoid probate.

Durable financial powers of attorney

Choose an agent to handle financial matters within the authority your document gives them. We can discuss the powers to include, when authority should begin, and successor choices.

View sample financial DPOA
ILLUSTRATIVE SAMPLE · NOT FOR SIGNING

Durable Financial
Power of Attorney

Sample Client · Financial and property decisions

  1. Appointment of agent

    I designate my selected agent and successor agent to act within the authority granted in my completed document.

  2. Authority granted

    The completed document identifies the financial and property powers granted, any limits, and any special instructions.

  3. Durability

    The authority is intended to continue during my incapacity, subject to the document’s terms and applicable law.

Execution
Principal’s signature
Date
Witness 1 · Signature & date
Witness 2 · Signature & date
Notarial acknowledgment

Acknowledgment by the principal before a notary public, when used.

Notary public
Date / commission details
Agent’s acknowledgment

Separate acknowledgment of the agent’s duties before acting.

Agent’s signature
Date
Abbreviated illustration, not an executable power of attorney. Execution requirements depend on how the principal signs. Michigan permits acknowledgment before a notary or qualifying witnesses for ordinary execution; additional requirements can apply.

Patient Advocate Designation

A patient advocate designation, often called a medical power of attorney, identifies who may make healthcare decisions when you cannot participate in them. The financial and healthcare roles are separate and should reflect your wishes.

View sample Patient Advocate Designation
ILLUSTRATIVE SAMPLE · NOT FOR SIGNING

Patient Advocate
Designation

Sample Client · Healthcare decisions

  1. My patient advocate

    I designate my selected patient advocate and successor to make healthcare decisions when authorized.

  2. My healthcare wishes

    My completed designation sets out the decisions authorized and my wishes, instructions, and limitations.

  3. When authority begins

    My advocate’s authority depends on the required determination that I cannot participate in the relevant decisions.

Execution
Patient’s signature
Date
Witness statement

Two eligible witnesses sign the completed designation’s required witness statement.

Witness 1 · Signature & date
Witness 2 · Signature & date
Patient advocate’s acceptance

The complete acceptance includes the statements required by Michigan law.

Patient advocate’s signature
Date
Abbreviated illustration, not a complete or executable designation. Witness eligibility restrictions apply. The advocate must sign the required acceptance before acting.

Deeds

Deed preparation and review can help align your real estate ownership with your estate plan. We can discuss your property, the people you want to benefit, and how ownership and transfer choices fit your wishes and your goal of avoiding probate where possible.

Your property. Your plan.

Let’s review how your real estate fits with your will, powers of attorney, and overall estate plan.

A will is one part of the plan.

A will alone does not keep an estate out of probate. How assets are titled and whether beneficiary designations apply can affect which property passes through probate.

We can discuss how your documents, ownership arrangements, and beneficiary choices fit together. Avoiding probate where possible takes a coordinated review, not a promise that one document solves everything.

Start with a conversation.

Bring existing planning documents, a general list of assets, and the names of people you would trust with financial or medical decisions. We’ll discuss your goals, the documents that fit your situation, and the next steps.

References & legal context

General information, not legal advice. The appropriate plan depends on your circumstances. Reviewed October 22, 2026.

Let’s plan for what matters to you.

Work directly with Steve through Bagley & Langan, PLLC.

Discuss your estate plan