Free Michigan Last Will and Testament
Build a complete Michigan will in minutes — free, no account. Fill in your details and download a ready-to-sign PDF with the protective clauses built in and Michigan's correct signing requirements.
A free, ready-to-sign will — but not legal advice.
This builds a complete Michigan will with the protective clauses most templates skip (survivorship period, residuary, minor's trust, executor powers). It becomes legally valid only when you sign it correctly (see the signing steps below). For a large or blended estate, have an attorney review it. RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
About you
Children
Name all your children, even any you are not leaving anything to — naming them prevents an 'omitted child' claim.
Who inherits everything else (your residuary estate)
The catch-all gift of everything not specifically given. Shares should total 100%.
Specific gifts (optional)
Particular items or sums to particular people.
Executor (the person who carries out your will)
Options
Naming them states the omission is intentional. Note: you generally cannot fully disinherit a spouse (see the warnings).
Before you sign — Michigan notes
Choose 2 witnesses who are adults and who do NOT inherit under this Will. A beneficiary (or a beneficiary's spouse) should never witness your Will.
Add at least one residuary beneficiary with a share above 0%. Without a residuary gift, everything not specifically given would pass by intestacy (state default rules), defeating the point of the Will.
To make this Will valid in Michigan: In Michigan, a valid will must be in writing, signed by the testator (or by another in the testator's name in the testator's conscious presence and at the testator's direction), and signed by at least two witnesses, each within a reasonable time after witnessing the testator sign or acknowledge the will. No notary is required for validity. To make the will self-proving (so no witness need testify in probate), the testator and both witnesses swear to a self-proving affidavit before a notary or other officer authorized to administer oaths (MCL 700.2504). Michigan also recognizes holographic wills if dated and if the signature and material portions are in the testator's handwriting, and it publishes an official statutory will form (MCL 700.2519) that the public can fill in.
This is a do-it-yourself Will for a straightforward estate. If you have a large or blended estate, business interests, tax concerns, a special-needs beneficiary, or want to disinherit close family, have an attorney review it. This is not legal advice and RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
Or email yourself a copy (PDF)
Last Will and Testament of [YOUR FULL NAME]
ARTICLE I — DECLARATION
I, [YOUR FULL NAME], a resident of [CITY], [COUNTY] County, Michigan, being of full legal age to make a will and of sound mind and memory, declare this to be my Last Will and Testament, and I revoke all wills and codicils I have previously made.
ARTICLE II — FAMILY
I am not married.
If I have not named or provided for a child or other descendant in this Will, that omission is intentional and not the result of accident or mistake.
ARTICLE III — PAYMENT OF DEBTS, EXPENSES, AND TAXES
I direct my Executor to pay my legally enforceable debts, the expenses of my last illness and funeral, the costs of administering my estate, and any estate or inheritance taxes payable by reason of my death, out of the residue of my estate, without apportionment.
ARTICLE IV — TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY
I give my tangible personal property (household goods, furniture, vehicles, jewelry, collections, and personal effects not otherwise specifically given) to my residuary beneficiaries as they agree, or as my Executor determines if they cannot agree.
I may leave a separate written memorandum, signed and dated by me, disposing of items of tangible personal property. Michigan law allows such a memorandum to be given effect, and I direct my Executor to honor the most recent such memorandum I leave.
ARTICLE V — RESIDUARY ESTATE
I give all the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate to [RESIDUARY BENEFICIARY].
If no beneficiary named in this article survives me, my residuary estate shall pass to my heirs at law under the intestacy laws of my state.
ARTICLE VI — SURVIVORSHIP
Except as otherwise provided, a beneficiary must survive me by 30 days to receive any gift under this Will. A beneficiary who does not survive me by 30 days shall be treated as having predeceased me. This protects my estate from passing through the estate of a beneficiary who dies shortly after me.
ARTICLE VII — APPOINTMENT OF EXECUTOR
I nominate [EXECUTOR NAME] as Executor of this Will.
I direct that my Executor serve without bond and, to the fullest extent allowed by law, without court supervision (independent administration). My Executor shall have all powers granted to executors and personal representatives under the law of my state, including the power to sell, lease, invest, and distribute estate property, to pay debts and taxes, and to settle claims, all without prior court approval, as my Executor deems to be in the best interest of my estate.
ARTICLE VIII — DIGITAL ASSETS
I authorize my Executor to access, manage, distribute, and dispose of my digital assets and electronic communications, and to act as my fiduciary under the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (or its equivalent in my state), with full authority to consent to a custodian's disclosure of the content and records of my electronic communications and accounts.
ARTICLE IX — SIMULTANEOUS DEATH
If any beneficiary and I die under circumstances in which the order of our deaths cannot be established, that beneficiary shall be deemed to have predeceased me. If my spouse and I die under such circumstances, my spouse shall be deemed to have predeceased me.
ARTICLE X — GENERAL PROVISIONS
This Will shall be governed by the laws of the State of Michigan.
If any provision of this Will is held invalid, the remaining provisions shall remain in full effect. Words of one gender include the other, and the singular includes the plural, as the context requires. The headings are for convenience only and do not affect the meaning of this Will.
EXECUTION
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I sign this Will, consisting of the foregoing pages, on this _____ day of ____________, 20____, at [CITY], Michigan.
____________________________________
[YOUR FULL NAME], Testator
ATTESTATION — The foregoing instrument was signed by the Testator and declared to be the Testator's Will in our presence, and we, at the Testator's request and in the Testator's presence and in the presence of each other, sign below as witnesses, believing the Testator to be of sound mind and under no constraint or undue influence.
Witness 1: ____________________________ Address: ____________________________
Witness 2: ____________________________ Address: ____________________________
SELF-PROVING AFFIDAVIT (MCL 700.2504) — sign this part before a notary to make probate easier:
STATE OF MICHIGAN, COUNTY OF [COUNTY]. I, [TESTATOR NAME], the testator, sign my name to this document on __________, 20__. I have taken an oath, administered by the officer whose signature and seal appear on this document, swearing that the statements in this document are true. I declare to that officer that this document is my will; that I sign it willingly or willingly direct another to sign for me; that I execute it as my voluntary act for the purposes expressed in this will; that I am 18 years of age or older and under no constraint or undue influence; and that I have sufficient mental capacity to make this will. ____________________ Testator. We, [WITNESS 1] and [WITNESS 2], the witnesses, sign our names to this document and have taken an oath, administered by the officer whose signature and seal appear on this document, to swear that all of the following statements are true: the individual signing this document as the testator executes the document as his or her will, signs it willingly or willingly directs another to sign for him or her, and executes it as his or her voluntary act for the purposes expressed in this will; each of us, in the testator's presence, signs this will as witness to the testator's signing; and, to the best of our knowledge, the testator is 18 years of age or older, is under no constraint or undue influence, and has sufficient mental capacity to make this will. ____________________ Witness ____________________ Witness. Sworn to and signed in my presence by [TESTATOR NAME], the testator, and by [WITNESS 1] and [WITNESS 2], witnesses, on __________, 20__. ____________________ (Signed) (Official capacity of officer).
How to Sign Your Will in Michigan
In Michigan, a valid will must be in writing, signed by the testator (or by another in the testator's name in the testator's conscious presence and at the testator's direction), and signed by at least two witnesses, each within a reasonable time after witnessing the testator sign or acknowledge the will. No notary is required for validity. To make the will self-proving (so no witness need testify in probate), the testator and both witnesses swear to a self-proving affidavit before a notary or other officer authorized to administer oaths (MCL 700.2504). Michigan also recognizes holographic wills if dated and if the signature and material portions are in the testator's handwriting, and it publishes an official statutory will form (MCL 700.2519) that the public can fill in.
Michigan requires 2 witnesses: Signed by at least 2 individuals, each of whom signed within a reasonable time after he or she witnessed either the signing of the will or the testator's acknowledgment of that signature or acknowledgment of the will. MCL 700.2502(1). A will or provision is not invalid because the will is signed by an interested witness. MCL 700.2505.. Your will does not need to be notarized to be valid. Sign the self-proving affidavit (MCL 700.2504) before a notary so your witnesses won't have to testify in probate.
Michigan also recognizes holographic (handwritten) wills, but a typed, witnessed will is far less likely to be challenged.
Can You Disinherit a Spouse in Michigan?
Cannot fully disinherit a spouse. Under EPIC (MCL 700.2202), a surviving spouse of a testate decedent may elect to take 1/2 of the share the spouse would have received had the decedent died INTESTATE, reduced by 1/2 of the value of property derived by the spouse from the decedent by other means (e.g., joint property, beneficiary designations). This is Michigan's distinctive '1/2 of the intestate share' formula, not a flat 1/3. A widow may still elect old statutory dower only if the decedent died before the 2017 dower-abolition amendment; dower is otherwise abolished. Election must be filed within 63 days of the later of the claims-presentment date or service of the inventory.
No-contest clauses: A no-contest/penalty clause is unenforceable if PROBABLE CAUSE exists for instituting the proceedings (standard EPIC/UPC rule).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a will made online valid in Michigan?
Yes, if you sign it correctly. Michigan requires 2 witnesses. The document this tool creates is a standard typed will; it becomes legally valid when you sign it following the steps above.
Does my Michigan will need to be notarized?
No. Michigan does not require your will to be notarized. Notarizing the separate self-proving affidavit is optional but makes probate easier.
How many witnesses does a Michigan will need?
2 witnesses. Signed by at least 2 individuals, each of whom signed within a reasonable time after he or she witnessed either the signing of the will or the testator's acknowledgment of that signature or acknowledgment of the will. MCL 700.2502(1). A will or provision is not invalid because the will is signed by an interested witness. MCL 700.2505. They should be adults who do not inherit under the will.
Can I leave my spouse out of my Michigan will?
Cannot fully disinherit a spouse. Under EPIC (MCL 700.2202), a surviving spouse of a testate decedent may elect to take 1/2 of the share the spouse would have received had the decedent died INTESTATE, reduced by 1/2 of the value of property derived by the spouse from the decedent by other means (e.g., joint property, beneficiary designations). This is Michigan's distinctive '1/2 of the intestate share' formula, not a flat 1/3. A widow may still elect old statutory dower only if the decedent died before the 2017 dower-abolition amendment; dower is otherwise abolished. Election must be filed within 63 days of the later of the claims-presentment date or service of the inventory.
Is this really free?
Yes. The generator is free, requires no account, and runs in your browser — your answers are not sent to a server. It is not legal advice and RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
Disclaimer
This generator produces a general-purpose will for a straightforward estate and is not legal advice or a substitute for an attorney. Will and probate law changes; the Michigan requirements here are current as of 2026-06-03. A will is only valid if signed and witnessed correctly. For a large, blended, or complex estate, tax planning, a special-needs beneficiary, or to disinherit close family, consult a Michigan estate-planning attorney. RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
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