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Rutkowski","Family","estate-planning",{"type":20,"children":164,"toc":389},[165,174,180,185,205,211,230,242,294,305,311,316,321,326,332,337,342,347,353,358,363,368,374,379,384],{"type":166,"tag":167,"props":168,"children":170},"element","h2",{"id":169},"the-empty-safe-deposit-box-problem",[171],{"type":172,"value":173},"text","The Empty Safe-Deposit Box Problem",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":176,"children":177},"p",{},[178],{"type":172,"value":179},"Creating an estate plan without funding it is like buying an expensive safe-deposit box and leaving all your valuables sitting on the counter.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":181,"children":182},{},[183],{"type":172,"value":184},"Many families believe that once they sign their trust documents, their home and savings are automatically protected. The reality is that placing your wishes on paper is only the first step. 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In reality, ",{"type":166,"tag":191,"props":224,"children":225},{},[226],{"type":172,"value":227},"trust funding",{"type":172,"value":229}," simply means changing the legal ownership title or beneficiary designation on your existing assets so they align with your trust instructions.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":231,"children":232},{},[233,235,240],{"type":172,"value":234},"Properly ",{"type":166,"tag":191,"props":236,"children":237},{},[238],{"type":172,"value":239},"funding a trust",{"type":172,"value":241}," involves several key steps:",{"type":166,"tag":243,"props":244,"children":245},"ul",{},[246,264,274,284],{"type":166,"tag":247,"props":248,"children":249},"li",{},[250,255,257,262],{"type":166,"tag":191,"props":251,"children":252},{},[253],{"type":172,"value":254},"Real Estate:",{"type":172,"value":256}," Executing and recording updated deeds, such as a ",{"type":166,"tag":191,"props":258,"children":259},{},[260],{"type":172,"value":261},"Michigan Lady Bird Deed",{"type":172,"value":263}," or a quitclaim deed, to transfer property ownership to the trust.",{"type":166,"tag":247,"props":265,"children":266},{},[267,272],{"type":166,"tag":191,"props":268,"children":269},{},[270],{"type":172,"value":271},"Financial Accounts:",{"type":172,"value":273}," Retitling standard checking, savings, and non-retirement investment accounts into the name of the trust.",{"type":166,"tag":247,"props":275,"children":276},{},[277,282],{"type":166,"tag":191,"props":278,"children":279},{},[280],{"type":172,"value":281},"Business Interests:",{"type":172,"value":283}," Assigning membership interests or stock certificates to the trust structure.",{"type":166,"tag":247,"props":285,"children":286},{},[287,292],{"type":166,"tag":191,"props":288,"children":289},{},[290],{"type":172,"value":291},"Beneficiary Coordination:",{"type":172,"value":293}," Aligning life insurance policies and specific accounts with your overall estate plan.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":295,"children":296},{},[297,299,303],{"type":172,"value":298},"Signing the trust document creates the holding vessel, but ",{"type":166,"tag":191,"props":300,"children":301},{},[302],{"type":172,"value":227},{"type":172,"value":304}," is what actually places your property inside that vessel.",{"type":166,"tag":167,"props":306,"children":308},{"id":307},"why-unfunded-trusts-end-up-in-michigan-probate-court",[309],{"type":172,"value":310},"Why Unfunded Trusts End Up in Michigan Probate Court",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":312,"children":313},{},[314],{"type":172,"value":315},"The primary reason families create a trust is probate avoidance. In Michigan, probate court proceedings in Oakland, Wayne, or Washtenaw counties can take up to a year or longer, creating expensive legal fees, public record disclosures, and unnecessary stress for surviving family members.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":317,"children":318},{},[319],{"type":172,"value":320},"However, probate court does not look at what your trust document says; it looks at how your assets are titled.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":322,"children":323},{},[324],{"type":172,"value":325},"If a home, bank account, or investment account remains in your individual name at the time of incapacity or death, financial institutions will freeze that asset. Because the property sits outside the trust, your designated trustee has no legal authority to access it. To gain access, your family must file a petition in probate court, completely defeating the purpose of creating the trust in the first place.",{"type":166,"tag":167,"props":327,"children":329},{"id":328},"the-pour-over-will-misconception",[330],{"type":172,"value":331},"The Pour-Over Will Misconception",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":333,"children":334},{},[335],{"type":172,"value":336},"When families discover that an asset was left outside their trust, they often assume a pour-over will serves as a backup safety net.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":338,"children":339},{},[340],{"type":172,"value":341},"A pour-over will is an important legal document that captures forgotten personal property and directs it into your trust after death. But it is not a substitute for funding a trust properly during your lifetime.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":343,"children":344},{},[345],{"type":172,"value":346},"Because a pour-over will is still a will, the assets covered by it must go through Michigan probate court before they can be transferred into the trust. Relying on a pour-over will can expose your family to court delays, filing fees, and public oversight before your trustee can carry out your wishes. Proactive funding during your lifetime is the only way to help ensure a private, seamless transfer.",{"type":166,"tag":167,"props":348,"children":350},{"id":349},"why-funding-problems-surface-during-a-crisis",[351],{"type":172,"value":352},"Why Funding Problems Surface During a Crisis",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":354,"children":355},{},[356],{"type":172,"value":357},"Families rarely discover that a trust is unfunded during calm times. Funding gaps usually surface during a sudden medical emergency or after a loved one passes away.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":359,"children":360},{},[361],{"type":172,"value":362},"If you become incapacitated due to illness or injury, your successor trustee needs immediate access to pay your bills, manage your home, or cover healthcare costs. If your bank accounts are outside the trust and you do not have a properly coordinated financial power of attorney, your family may be forced to petition the court for an emergency conservatorship.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":364,"children":365},{},[366],{"type":172,"value":367},"Asset ownership also changes over time. When you buy a new home, open a new investment account, or switch banks, you must make sure those assets are properly titled to your trust. Leaving newly acquired property in your individual name recreates the probate risk you were trying to avoid.",{"type":166,"tag":167,"props":369,"children":371},{"id":370},"the-done-for-you-advantage",[372],{"type":172,"value":373},"The Done-For-You Advantage",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":375,"children":376},{},[377],{"type":172,"value":378},"The greatest weakness in modern estate planning is the one-size-fits-all approach taken by generalist attorneys and document mills. They hand clients a heavy binder of paper templates, add an instruction sheet, and leave the family to navigate the retitling process at the bank on its own.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":380,"children":381},{},[382],{"type":172,"value":383},"For most people, bank paperwork is confusing. Life gets busy, the trust remains unfunded, and when a health crisis strikes or nursing home costs average $12,216 per month, the plan can fail completely.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":385,"children":386},{},[387],{"type":172,"value":388},"At Rutkowski Law Firm, we believe a plan is only as good as its ability to hold up when it is tested. Our Proven Process provides complete done-for-you funding support from a team with more than 50 years of combined legal experience. We handle the heavy lifting by coordinating real estate deeds and financial accounts for you, helping create a fully fortified plan that keeps your children out of court and gives your family true peace of mind.",{"title":23,"searchDepth":24,"depth":24,"links":390},[391,392,393,394,395,396],{"id":169,"depth":24,"text":173},{"id":207,"depth":24,"text":210},{"id":307,"depth":24,"text":310},{"id":328,"depth":24,"text":331},{"id":349,"depth":24,"text":352},{"id":370,"depth":24,"text":373},"content:blog:what-happens-if-you-create-a-trust-but-never-fund-it.md","blog/what-happens-if-you-create-a-trust-but-never-fund-it.md","blog/what-happens-if-you-create-a-trust-but-never-fund-it",{"_path":401,"_dir":155,"_draft":7,"_partial":7,"_locale":8,"title":402,"description":403,"date":158,"imageUrl":404,"author":160,"imageAlt":405,"practiceArea":162,"body":406,"_type":26,"_id":601,"_source":28,"_file":602,"_stem":603,"_extension":31},"/blog/which-assets-belong-in-your-trust-and-which-should-stay-out","Which Assets Belong in Your Trust—and Which Should Stay Out?","Retitling the wrong account can trigger tax traps. Here is how to coordinate your assets correctly under Michigan law.","https://media.rutkowskilawfirm.com/a2b24c42-be94-4464-ad54-88450c2d0fc5-rlf-blog-which-assets-belong-in-your-trust.webp","Father daughter",{"type":20,"children":407,"toc":594},[408,414,419,424,429,435,440,501,506,512,517,557,563,568,573,579,584,589],{"type":166,"tag":167,"props":409,"children":411},{"id":410},"matching-every-asset-to-the-right-legal-shield",[412],{"type":172,"value":413},"Matching Every Asset to the Right Legal Shield",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":415,"children":416},{},[417],{"type":172,"value":418},"Signing your estate planning documents is only the first step in protecting your legacy. The next —and most important —step is funding your living trust: making sure your real estate, bank accounts, and investments are properly connected to your legal plan.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":420,"children":421},{},[422],{"type":172,"value":423},"A common mistake is assuming every asset should be retitled in the name of the trust. Treating all property the same can create serious tax problems, disrupt retirement distributions, or leave major gaps in your family’s protection.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":425,"children":426},{},[427],{"type":172,"value":428},"Under Michigan law, different types of property require different holding structures. Knowing which assets belong in a trust, which should stay outside it, and how to coordinate beneficiary designations is essential to building a true Asset Shield that helps keep your loved ones out of probate court in Oakland, Wayne, or Washtenaw counties.",{"type":166,"tag":167,"props":430,"children":432},{"id":431},"assets-that-generally-belong-inside-your-trust",[433],{"type":172,"value":434},"Assets That Generally Belong Inside Your Trust",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":436,"children":437},{},[438],{"type":172,"value":439},"To ensure your estate avoids public probate court and remains protected if your health changes, specific core assets should be legally retitled directly into your trust:",{"type":166,"tag":243,"props":441,"children":442},{},[443,472,482,492],{"type":166,"tag":247,"props":444,"children":445},{},[446,451,453,458,460,470],{"type":166,"tag":191,"props":447,"children":448},{},[449],{"type":172,"value":450},"Real Estate and Land:",{"type":172,"value":452}," Your primary residence, vacation properties, rental real estate, and vacant land in Michigan belong in your trust. This is accomplished through properly recorded deeds, such as a ",{"type":166,"tag":191,"props":454,"children":455},{},[456],{"type":172,"value":457},"Michigan",{"type":172,"value":459}," ",{"type":166,"tag":461,"props":462,"children":464},"a",{"href":463},"/practice-areas/estate-planning/lady-bird-deed/",[465],{"type":166,"tag":191,"props":466,"children":467},{},[468],{"type":172,"value":469},"Lady Bird Deed",{"type":172,"value":471},"**** or a quitclaim deed, ensuring real estate transfers privately without court oversight.",{"type":166,"tag":247,"props":473,"children":474},{},[475,480],{"type":166,"tag":191,"props":476,"children":477},{},[478],{"type":172,"value":479},"Non-Retirement Bank Accounts:",{"type":172,"value":481}," Standard checking accounts, savings accounts, money market holdings, and certificates of deposit held in your individual name should be retitled to the trust or linked through primary trust ownership.",{"type":166,"tag":247,"props":483,"children":484},{},[485,490],{"type":166,"tag":191,"props":486,"children":487},{},[488],{"type":172,"value":489},"Non-Retirement Investment Accounts:",{"type":172,"value":491}," Individual or joint brokerage accounts, stocks, mutual funds, and bonds held outside tax-deferred retirement plans belong inside the trust structure.",{"type":166,"tag":247,"props":493,"children":494},{},[495,499],{"type":166,"tag":191,"props":496,"children":497},{},[498],{"type":172,"value":281},{"type":172,"value":500}," Ownership shares in closely held family businesses, LLC membership interests, or corporate stock certificates should be formally assigned to your trust.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":502,"children":503},{},[504],{"type":172,"value":505},"Moving these primary assets into your trust guarantees that if an unexpected illness strikes, your designated trustee can manage your property immediately without petitioning a judge for court permission.",{"type":166,"tag":167,"props":507,"children":509},{"id":508},"assets-that-require-specialized-beneficiary-planning",[510],{"type":172,"value":511},"Assets That Require Specialized Beneficiary Planning",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":513,"children":514},{},[515],{"type":172,"value":516},"Certain financial holdings should rarely be retitled directly to a trust during your lifetime. Doing so can trigger immediate tax penalties or disrupt carefully structured financial growth.",{"type":166,"tag":243,"props":518,"children":519},{},[520,537,547],{"type":166,"tag":247,"props":521,"children":522},{},[523,528,530,535],{"type":166,"tag":191,"props":524,"children":525},{},[526],{"type":172,"value":527},"Retirement Accounts (IRAs, 401ks, 403bs):",{"type":172,"value":529}," Tax-deferred retirement accounts must remain in your individual name while you are living. Retitling a traditional IRA or 401k directly to a trust causes the IRS to view the transfer as a total cash distribution, triggering massive immediate income taxes. Instead, learning ",{"type":166,"tag":191,"props":531,"children":532},{},[533],{"type":172,"value":534},"how to fund a living trust",{"type":172,"value":536}," with retirement accounts means aligning primary and contingent beneficiary designations to preserve tax advantages while enforcing trust instructions.",{"type":166,"tag":247,"props":538,"children":539},{},[540,545],{"type":166,"tag":191,"props":541,"children":542},{},[543],{"type":172,"value":544},"Life Insurance Policies:",{"type":172,"value":546}," While a trust can hold policy ownership in specific circumstances, life insurance proceeds are generally directed to the trust through an updated primary or contingent beneficiary designation, ensuring payout funds are protected for your surviving spouse or children.",{"type":166,"tag":247,"props":548,"children":549},{},[550,555],{"type":166,"tag":191,"props":551,"children":552},{},[553],{"type":172,"value":554},"Vehicles and Personal Belongings:",{"type":172,"value":556}," In Michigan, personal vehicles, everyday household items, and personal effects are managed through specific assignment documents or designated transfer-on-death forms rather than complex property deeds.",{"type":166,"tag":167,"props":558,"children":560},{"id":559},"how-uncoordinated-assets-fall-into-michigan-probate-court",[561],{"type":172,"value":562},"How Uncoordinated Assets Fall Into Michigan Probate Court",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":564,"children":565},{},[566],{"type":172,"value":567},"A trust only controls the property that is legally connected to it. When you acquire new property — such as a new home, a new bank account, or additional retirement funds — you must make sure those assets are properly connected to your existing trust. Leaving newly acquired property in your individual name brings back the same probate risk you were trying to avoid.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":569,"children":570},{},[571],{"type":172,"value":572},"Under Michigan law, when someone dies or becomes incapacitated with accounts in their individual name, financial institutions freeze those funds. Even if your signed trust clearly states who should inherit your wealth, unfunded accounts must still go through public probate court before your trustee can access a single dollar.",{"type":166,"tag":167,"props":574,"children":576},{"id":575},"securing-total-protection-with-done-for-you-execution",[577],{"type":172,"value":578},"Securing Total Protection with Done-For-You Execution",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":580,"children":581},{},[582],{"type":172,"value":583},"Coordinating property titles, beneficiary designations, and trust provisions requires precise legal execution.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":585,"children":586},{},[587],{"type":172,"value":588},"A major risk families face is working with a generalist attorney or a document mill. These low-cost operations hand clients a thick binder of templates, include an instruction sheet, and leave the family to manage asset transfers at the bank on their own. Most people find bank paperwork confusing, get busy, and end up leaving their trust completely unfunded. When a health crisis strikes or nursing home costs averaging $12,216 per month begin to add up, that unfunded plan can fail entirely.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":590,"children":591},{},[592],{"type":172,"value":593},"At Rutkowski Law Firm, we believe a plan is only valuable if it works when it is tested. Our Proven Process delivers a complete done-for-you funding experience backed by a team with more than 50 years of combined legal experience. We handle the heavy lifting of trust funding, including deeds and financial accounts, so your plan creates an active Asset Shield that helps keep your family out of court.",{"title":23,"searchDepth":24,"depth":24,"links":595},[596,597,598,599,600],{"id":410,"depth":24,"text":413},{"id":431,"depth":24,"text":434},{"id":508,"depth":24,"text":511},{"id":559,"depth":24,"text":562},{"id":575,"depth":24,"text":578},"content:blog:which-assets-belong-in-your-trust-and-which-should-stay-out.md","blog/which-assets-belong-in-your-trust-and-which-should-stay-out.md","blog/which-assets-belong-in-your-trust-and-which-should-stay-out",{"_path":605,"_dir":155,"_draft":7,"_partial":7,"_locale":8,"title":606,"description":607,"date":608,"imageUrl":609,"author":160,"imageAlt":610,"practiceArea":162,"body":611,"_type":26,"_id":752,"_source":28,"_file":753,"_stem":754,"_extension":31},"/blog/should-your-estate-plan-change-as-you-get-closer-to-retirement","Should Your Estate Plan Change as You Get Closer to Retirement?","An estate plan built at age 40 leaves major gaps at 60. Here is how to shield your life work before you retire.","2026-08-11T20:20:00.000Z","https://media.rutkowskilawfirm.com/95b94d96-133b-4705-b698-640491f31b61-rlf-blog-should-your-estate-plan-change-as-you-get-closer-to-retirement.webp","Couple enjoying the sunset",{"type":20,"children":612,"toc":744},[613,619,624,629,634,640,645,650,655,660,666,671,676,681,687,692,697,702,708,713,718,723,729,734,739],{"type":166,"tag":167,"props":614,"children":616},{"id":615},"the-legal-shift-from-accumulation-to-preservation",[617],{"type":172,"value":618},"The Legal Shift From Accumulation to Preservation",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":620,"children":621},{},[622],{"type":172,"value":623},"Reaching age 60 or 65 marks a significant milestone. For decades, your financial focus has been on accumulating wealth—paying down a mortgage, building retirement savings, raising children, and advancing your career.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":625,"children":626},{},[627],{"type":172,"value":628},"As retirement draws closer, your financial and legal priorities begin to shift. The emphasis moves from building wealth to preserving the assets you’ve spent a lifetime creating.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":630,"children":631},{},[632],{"type":172,"value":633},"An estate plan drafted when you were 40 was likely designed to protect young children and address basic asset distribution. But that plan may not account for the health, tax, and long-term care risks that emerge as retirement nears. Taking a proactive approach to estate planning before retirement helps ensure your legal strategy reflects your current priorities, preserves your independence, and protects your family’s future.",{"type":166,"tag":167,"props":635,"children":637},{"id":636},"revocable-vs-irrevocable-trusts-choosing-the-right-shield",[638],{"type":172,"value":639},"Revocable vs. Irrevocable Trusts: Choosing the Right Shield",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":641,"children":642},{},[643],{"type":172,"value":644},"Evaluating your trust structure is one of the most important steps in estate planning for retirees.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":646,"children":647},{},[648],{"type":172,"value":649},"A revocable living trust is a valuable planning tool that lets you retain full control of your assets during your lifetime. It also helps ensure smooth asset management if you become incapacitated and keeps your estate out of public probate court in Oakland, Wayne, or Washtenaw counties.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":651,"children":652},{},[653],{"type":172,"value":654},"That said, a revocable trust has an important drawback: because you still control the assets, those funds remain countable and exposed to long-term care costs.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":656,"children":657},{},[658],{"type":172,"value":659},"If protecting your primary residence and lifetime savings from potential healthcare expenses is a top priority, an irrevocable trust can provide a true asset shield. By transferring ownership of selected assets out of your personal estate, it helps safeguard your home and savings while preserving a legacy for your children.",{"type":166,"tag":167,"props":661,"children":663},{"id":662},"addressing-long-term-care-exposure-and-medicaid-planning",[664],{"type":172,"value":665},"Addressing Long-Term Care Exposure and Medicaid Planning",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":667,"children":668},{},[669],{"type":172,"value":670},"Long-term care is one of the biggest financial risks to a comfortable retirement in Michigan. With average nursing home care in the state reaching $12,216 per month, an unexpected illness or chronic diagnosis can quickly erode a lifetime of retirement savings.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":672,"children":673},{},[674],{"type":172,"value":675},"That’s why approaching retirement is the right time to include proactive Medicaid planning in your overall strategy. Michigan enforces a strict five-year Medicaid look-back period on asset transfers, and waiting until a health crisis arises can severely limit your legal options, often forcing families to spend down hard-earned assets before qualifying for assistance.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":677,"children":678},{},[679],{"type":172,"value":680},"Planning ahead by at least five years gives you the opportunity to protect your primary residence and preserve retirement savings for a surviving spouse without compromising care quality.",{"type":166,"tag":167,"props":682,"children":684},{"id":683},"protecting-inheritances-for-children-and-grandchildren",[685],{"type":172,"value":686},"Protecting Inheritances for Children and Grandchildren",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":688,"children":689},{},[690],{"type":172,"value":691},"Proper retirement estate planning does more than determine who receives your property — it also determines how those assets are protected after they leave your hands.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":693,"children":694},{},[695],{"type":172,"value":696},"Leaving assets outright to adult children can expose their inheritance to unexpected outside risks. If a child goes through a divorce, faces a lawsuit, or takes on substantial debt, an outright inheritance may be vulnerable to creditors or divided in court.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":698,"children":699},{},[700],{"type":172,"value":701},"By structuring your estate plan to pass assets into protected trusts for your children, you can preserve their inheritance. This approach helps keep your hard-earned assets within your family, benefiting your children and grandchildren while protecting those funds from future divorces or financial liabilities.",{"type":166,"tag":167,"props":703,"children":705},{"id":704},"coordinating-retirement-accounts-and-beneficiary-designations",[706],{"type":172,"value":707},"Coordinating Retirement Accounts and Beneficiary Designations",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":709,"children":710},{},[711],{"type":172,"value":712},"As you approach retirement, you may have consolidated 401(k)s, traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, or pension benefits.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":714,"children":715},{},[716],{"type":172,"value":717},"A common and costly mistake is assuming that a trust or will automatically determines where retirement accounts go after death. Under Michigan law, beneficiary designations on financial accounts override the instructions in a trust or will.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":719,"children":720},{},[721],{"type":172,"value":722},"If your beneficiary designations are outdated or not properly coordinated, retirement distributions may create unexpected tax burdens for your heirs or bypass your trust protections altogether. A comprehensive plan aligns every account, investment, and insurance policy with your overall legal strategy.",{"type":166,"tag":167,"props":724,"children":726},{"id":725},"the-done-for-you-difference",[727],{"type":172,"value":728},"The Done-For-You Difference",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":730,"children":731},{},[732],{"type":172,"value":733},"The biggest mistake pre-retirees make is trusting their future to a generalist attorney or a document mill. These providers often hand clients a heavy binder of paper templates and leave them to handle their own asset transfers at the bank.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":735,"children":736},{},[737],{"type":172,"value":738},"If you do not properly retitle your bank accounts, deeds, and investments into your trust — a process known as trust funding — the entire plan can fail, sending your family straight into public probate court.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":740,"children":741},{},[742],{"type":172,"value":743},"At Rutkowski Law Firm, we provide a white-glove, done-for-you process backed by more than 50 years of combined legal experience. We handle the heavy lifting of complete trust funding, retitling deeds, and coordinating financial accounts so your plan is fortified and ready to work when your family needs it most.",{"title":23,"searchDepth":24,"depth":24,"links":745},[746,747,748,749,750,751],{"id":615,"depth":24,"text":618},{"id":636,"depth":24,"text":639},{"id":662,"depth":24,"text":665},{"id":683,"depth":24,"text":686},{"id":704,"depth":24,"text":707},{"id":725,"depth":24,"text":728},"content:blog:should-your-estate-plan-change-as-you-get-closer-to-retirement.md","blog/should-your-estate-plan-change-as-you-get-closer-to-retirement.md","blog/should-your-estate-plan-change-as-you-get-closer-to-retirement",[756],{"_path":757,"_dir":758,"_draft":7,"_partial":7,"_locale":8,"title":759,"description":760,"name":160,"role":761,"imageUrl":762,"leadership":763,"order":764,"imageAlt":765,"practiceAreas":766,"body":770,"_type":26,"_id":895,"_source":28,"_file":896,"_stem":897,"_extension":31},"/about-us/team/michael-rutkowski","team","Michael Rutkowski","Michael L. Rutkowski is a husband, #girldad, entrepreneur, and estate planning attorney who lives his life with intention, grit, and an unshakable sense of purpose. He owns and operates four growing companies—including Rutkowski Law Firm, one of Michigan’s leading estate planning and elder law firms — but he’ll be the first to tell you: business success means nothing if you’re not winning at home.","Founder / Attorney","/img/team/michael-rutkowski.webp",true,1,"Head shot of Michael Rutkowski",[767,768,769],"Estate Planning","Medicaid Planning","Probate",{"type":20,"children":771,"toc":890},[772,793,798,803,808,813,819,824,830,866,872],{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":773,"children":774},{},[775,777,783,785,791],{"type":172,"value":776},"Michael L. Rutkowski is a husband, #girldad, entrepreneur, and estate planning attorney who lives his life with intention, grit, and an unshakable sense of purpose. He owns and operates four growing companies—including Rutkowski Law Firm, one of Michigan’s leading ",{"type":166,"tag":461,"props":778,"children":780},{"href":779},"/practice-areas/estate-planning/",[781],{"type":172,"value":782},"estate planning",{"type":172,"value":784}," and ",{"type":166,"tag":461,"props":786,"children":788},{"href":787},"/practice-areas/elder-law/",[789],{"type":172,"value":790},"elder law",{"type":172,"value":792}," firms — but he’ll be the first to tell you: business success means nothing if you’re not winning at home.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":794,"children":795},{},[796],{"type":172,"value":797},"Mike starts every day at 4:00 a.m. with the same rhythm—Bible, journal, gratitude, workout, cold plunge, meditation. His commitment to daily habits has transformed every area of his life, from his health to his mindset to his ability to lead others. In his mid-40s, he’s in the best shape of his life—physically, spiritually, and professionally.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":799,"children":800},{},[801],{"type":172,"value":802},"His passion for estate planning was born out of personal moments—friends and family starting families of their own and turning to him for help. What began as a few conversations quickly became a calling: to help people protect what matters most. Today, Mike’s work empowers thousands of families across Michigan to preserve their legacies, shield their life savings, and plan ahead with confidence.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":804,"children":805},{},[806],{"type":172,"value":807},"At home, Mike is surrounded by his real why—his wife Katie and their three daughters, who fill the family calendar with competitive dance, volleyball, and nonstop joy. Katie is a visionary in her own right, leading Headquarters Mental Wellness, a dynamic mental health collective designed to connect people with care that actually fits their lives. Together, they’ve created a home that’s faith-filled, high-energy, a little crazy, and full of love—the kind of household where the Wi-Fi is never fast enough, but the laughter is loud and constant.",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":809,"children":810},{},[811],{"type":172,"value":812},"Mike also serves as the Director of Fitness for Rise Up Kings, where he helps faith-driven men become stronger leaders in their businesses and in their homes. Whether he’s coaching clients, leading teams, or cheering from the sidelines of a tournament, one thing is clear: Mike lives what he teaches.",{"type":166,"tag":167,"props":814,"children":816},{"id":815},"education",[817],{"type":172,"value":818},"Education",{"type":166,"tag":175,"props":820,"children":821},{},[822],{"type":172,"value":823},"Mike’s educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a major in Sales and Business Marketing from Western Michigan University’s Haworth College of Business. Mike earned his Juris Doctor, with a concentration in Business Transactions, through Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School’s challenging accelerated two-year program. Before starting the Rutkowski Law Firm, Mike spent six years at the fast-paced firm of Evans Pletkovic, PC, advising clients on business formation, negotiation, and contracts, as well as handling numerous workers’ compensation and employment law matters.",{"type":166,"tag":167,"props":825,"children":827},{"id":826},"practice-areas",[828],{"type":172,"value":829},"Practice Areas",{"type":166,"tag":243,"props":831,"children":832},{},[833,837,842,846,851,856,861],{"type":166,"tag":247,"props":834,"children":835},{},[836],{"type":172,"value":767},{"type":166,"tag":247,"props":838,"children":839},{},[840],{"type":172,"value":841},"Asset Protection",{"type":166,"tag":247,"props":843,"children":844},{},[845],{"type":172,"value":768},{"type":166,"tag":247,"props":847,"children":848},{},[849],{"type":172,"value":850},"Elder Law",{"type":166,"tag":247,"props":852,"children":853},{},[854],{"type":172,"value":855},"Estate Tax Planning",{"type":166,"tag":247,"props":857,"children":858},{},[859],{"type":172,"value":860},"Special Needs Planning",{"type":166,"tag":247,"props":862,"children":863},{},[864],{"type":172,"value":865},"Veterans Benefits Planning",{"type":166,"tag":167,"props":867,"children":869},{"id":868},"awards-memberships",[870],{"type":172,"value":871},"Awards & Memberships",{"type":166,"tag":243,"props":873,"children":874},{},[875,880,885],{"type":166,"tag":247,"props":876,"children":877},{},[878],{"type":172,"value":879},"Super Lawyers",{"type":166,"tag":247,"props":881,"children":882},{},[883],{"type":172,"value":884},"Best Lawyers",{"type":166,"tag":247,"props":886,"children":887},{},[888],{"type":172,"value":889},"Wealth Counsel",{"title":23,"searchDepth":24,"depth":24,"links":891},[892,893,894],{"id":815,"depth":24,"text":818},{"id":826,"depth":24,"text":829},{"id":868,"depth":24,"text":871},"content:about-us:team:michael-rutkowski.md","about-us/team/michael-rutkowski.md","about-us/team/michael-rutkowski",1786977184957]