A Michigan last will and testament is a written document that lets a testator (the person making the will) decide who inherits their property, who serves as executor, and who cares for minor children after they die.[1.1] State law requires the testator to sign it, or direct someone else to sign it in the testator’s presence, and at least two witnesses must also sign.[1.2][2]
Below, you can download a free Michigan will template in PDF and DOC formats to fill out and print, or build one with our online will-building tool. Further down the page, you will find Michigan’s specific rules for a will and step-by-step instructions for filling out the template.
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Last Updated: September 2026. This guide is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current Michigan law. If you notice an error or outdated information, please contact us.
The law sets requirements a will must meet. It must be in writing, signed by the testator or by someone else in the testator’s presence and at their direction, and signed by at least two witnesses.[1.1][1.2][2] Michigan also lets you add a self-proving affidavit, a written statement rather than a sworn statement, so your witnesses do not need to testify in court later.[2]
Adding a self-proving affidavit can save your family a trip to court, since the witnesses will not need to testify to confirm the will is genuine.[2]
| Rule | State law | |
| Statutes | Act 386 of 1998, Article II – Intestacy, Wills, and Donative Transfers | |
| Definitions | 700.1108 Definitions; U to Z. | |
| Signing requirement | Two witnesses | 700.2504 [2] |
| Age of testator | 18 or older | 700.2504 [2] |
| Self-proving wills | Allowed | 700.2504 Self-proved will [2] |
Doing this is a common estate planning step. It means working through a fixed set of sections, from naming your executor to signing in front of witnesses. Here is what the process covers, step by step, using the free template above.
1. Choose how you want to make it. Decide whether you need a lawyer, usually because your estate is complex, or whether you want to do it yourself. For a do-it-yourself will, you can use a fillable last will and testament form or our online will-building tool.
2. Indicate your details (if you are the testator). Fill out your full name and address (the city, county, and state of residence) to determine the testator of the MI will.
3. Establish the executor. Enter the full name, city, county, and state of residence of the person who will carry out your will. This person, your executor, is who takes your will to Michigan’s probate court after you die. It’s recommended to designate somebody who resides in the same state as you, is trustworthy and organized, and is willing to take the position before you list them in your will.
Although it isn’t compulsory, it’s wise to choose one more person to act as your executor if the first one is unwilling or incapable of carrying out their duties.
4. Appoint the guardian (optional). In case you have minor or dependent children and don’t want the court to choose a guardian for them when you’re no longer here, it’s possible to choose someone you know as a guardian to care for your children.
5. Establish your beneficiaries. Now specify those people (or organizations) to whom you wish to pass down your estate, that is, your beneficiaries. For every inheritor, define the next details: their full legal name, address, and how they are related to you.
6. Designate the property. If you have got a property distribution under consideration that is not even, you’ll be able to elaborate on it in this section. Such distributable assets might include money for unsettled arrears, real estate, stocks, business ownership, cash, and other personal property of financial value.
7. Proceed with the witnesses signing the will. Michigan law requires at least two witnesses to sign your last will and testament along with you, the testator.[2] In practice, many people choose witnesses who will not inherit anything under the will, to avoid questions about the will later.
It is also common to pick a witness younger than you are, so they are more likely to still be available if your will is contested years later.
A will like this is valid when it meets four rules. It must be in writing,[1.1] and the testator must sign it, or direct someone else to sign it in the testator’s presence.[1.2] At least two witnesses must sign in the testator’s presence,[2] and the testator must be 18 years of age or older.[2] Michigan also allows a self-proving affidavit, a written statement rather than a sworn statement, so the witnesses do not have to testify in court later.[2]
You must be 18 years of age or older to make a last will and testament in Michigan.[2] This age requirement applies whether you write your will yourself or use a template like the one on this page. Michigan does not require you to notarize your will to meet this age rule, but the will must still be signed and witnessed as described above.
Testamentary capacity is a term used to describe the testator’s legal and mental capability (sound mind) to write and change their will.
You could be thought of as missing testamentary capacity if you are a minor under 18, or if you have dementia, senility, insanity, or a similar condition. These conditions can keep you from fully understanding your estate’s value, your beneficiaries, how your property will be divided, and how those pieces fit together. If extended, these requirements are as follows:
In practice, Michigan estate law can limit how much a will alone can exclude a surviving spouse, so a will by itself may not be enough to leave a spouse out completely. Couples who want to plan around this often use a trust or a prenuptial agreement instead of relying on the will alone.
In practice, people more commonly leave adult children or other relatives out of a Michigan will entirely, since a will lets you carry out your own wishes about who inherits.
Yes. You can update your will as long as you have the mental capacity to do so. Many people handle small updates with a codicil and make bigger changes by working with an attorney or will-preparation service to prepare a new will.
In practice, losing the only signed copy of a will can create real problems for your family, since a court may not accept a copy in place of the original without extra proof of what happened to it. Keeping your signed will somewhere safe, and telling your executor where it is, helps avoid this problem.
Michigan law allows someone else to sign the will in the testator’s name, as long as they do it in the testator’s conscious presence and at the testator’s direction.[1.2]
| Related documents | When to make it |
| Codicil | Your last will requires one or a number of minor modifications. |
| Self-proving affidavit | You would like to save time and money for your witnesses. |
| Living will | You want to indicate what health care you prefer if you can’t communicate that by yourself. |
| Living trust | You would like to skip probate by putting your property in the possession of a trust. |
General information, not legal or tax advice.
