Estate planning for Novi and Northville, Michigan families
Wills, revocable living trusts, powers of attorney and probate guidance for Novi households; with a flat fee quoted in writing before any work begins.
Novi and Northville sit on a county line, which is the first thing worth sorting out. Part of Northville lies in Wayne County and part in Oakland County, and that determines which courthouse an estate would be opened in. Beyond that, the planning picture here is familiar: a newer home with a mortgage, retirement accounts from one or two employers, sometimes a spouse working on a visa or holding assets abroad, and children still at home or newly launched.
Where we work in and around Novi
Novi, Northville, Northville Township, Walled Lake, Wixom, Commerce Township, South Lyon, Lyon Township, Island Lake, Tollgate, Bellagio, Meadowbrook and nearby Farmington Hills, Plymouth and New Hudson.
What a Novi estate plan usually includes
- a will or revocable living trust, chosen on whether the estate should stay out of the Pontiac courthouse;
- a financial durable power of attorney so someone can handle bills, accounts and property if you cannot;
- a patient advocate designation naming who makes health care decisions, with a HIPAA authorization so they can actually get the records;
- a review of every beneficiary designation, because retirement accounts and life insurance pass by that form rather than by the will;
- a deed review for the Novi home, since real estate is the asset most likely to force a family into probate.
What comes up most often in Novi
Households split across a county line
Northville addresses fall in either Wayne or Oakland County depending on the parcel. That decides which probate court hears an estate and which filing rules apply. It is worth confirming at the start rather than discovering it later.
Families with assets or relatives abroad
Property, accounts or heirs outside the United States add a layer most plans never address: currency, foreign inheritance rules, and whether a named person can practically serve as trustee from another country. Naming a successor who can act locally usually saves the family months.
Newer homes with a mortgage
A mortgage does not prevent a home from going into a trust, and putting it there does not trigger a due-on-sale clause under federal law for a revocable living trust. What matters is that the deed is actually recorded correctly and the insurer is told, which is part of the funding step.
Children still at home
Parents of minor children need a guardian nomination and a trust that holds funds past eighteen. Without both, a court picks the guardian and the child receives whatever is left in a lump sum on their eighteenth birthday.
Request a free consultation in Novi
Where a Novi estate is probated
Novi sits in Oakland County, so an estate for someone who lived here is opened at the Oakland County Probate Court in Pontiac. Addresses, hours and filing details are on the Oakland County probate page, and the wider county overview is on the Oakland County estate planning page. Most of that process is avoidable with planning done in advance.
The step almost everyone misses
Services and pricing
- Estate planning services
- Estate plan packages and flat fee pricing
- Articles, probate courts and areas we serve
Book a consultation call
Tell us about your family and what you own. Your request goes directly to Attorney Badri Yono Jr. of Foster Swift Collins & Smith, P.C., who runs a conflict check before contacting you directly. You get a flat fee in writing before any work starts, so there is no meter running and no surprise invoice. Most Novi clients finish the whole process without driving to Pontiac once.
Request a free consultation in Novi
This is an intake funnel and does not provide legal advice or legal representation. THIS FUNNEL IS NOT A LAW FIRM. Using this funnel or submitting a request does not create an attorney-client relationship. All requests are referred to Attorney Badri Yono Jr. (P88777) of Foster Swift Collins & Smith, P.C., who will provide legal services after an engagement agreement is executed, subject to its terms.
Talk with Attorney Badri Yono Jr.
Tell us about your family and we'll connect you directly with Attorney Badri Yono Jr. of Foster Swift; with a flat fee quoted in writing before any work begins.