This week, October 19–25, 2026, is National Estate Planning Awareness Week, and it’s a good reminder to check on something many people put off.

Studies regularly find that more than half of American adults don’t have a current estate plan. Some have nothing at all. Others have a will or trust from years ago that no longer fits their family, their assets, or Michigan law.

A quick self-check
  • Do you have a will or trust, and do you know where it is?
  • Does it still name the right people as beneficiaries, executor, and trustee?
  • Do you have a durable power of attorney and a healthcare directive in place?
  • Have you reviewed it since a marriage, divorce, birth, death, move, or major change in your finances?
  • Have you thought about how long-term care would be paid for, and how Medicaid could factor in?

If you answered “no” or “not sure” to any of these, a short conversation can clear things up.

Lotus Estate Planning & Elder Law, PLLC is an estate planning law firm with offices in Hartland and Roscommon. We help families with wills and trusts, probate and trust administration, asset protection, and Medicaid planning. To talk through your situation, call us at (810) 273-4680 or contact us here to schedule a consultation.

This article is general information for Michigan families and is not legal advice. Laws and benefit figures change, and every family's situation is different. For guidance on your specific circumstances, please schedule a consultation with our office.