Fairholme Estate Law · Ann Arbor, Michigan
Plans that take good care of the people you love
Wills, trusts and powers of attorney, explained in plain words and priced as a flat fee before we begin. At our office, around your kitchen table, or by video.
Spotlight · free workshop
Wills or trusts? An evening of plain answers
Example date: Tuesday, November 10, 2026, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Save a free seat
Start here
What would you like to take care of?
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Wills and the basics
A will, a power of attorney and your health care wishes. The documents every adult should have.
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Living trusts
Keep your home and savings out of probate court, privately, with the funding done properly.
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Family situations
A child with a disability, a blended family or a business. Plans that fit real families.
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After a death
Named trustee or executor? Calm, step-by-step help, at a pace that leaves room for grief.
Simple promises, written down
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$1,450
Will Plan, from1
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3 to 5 weeks
First meeting to signing2
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12 months
Of free small updates3
1. Per person; $1,950 for a couple, with powers of attorney and health care documents included / 2. Typical for most plans, sooner when there is a deadline / 3. Included in every plan, for changes like a new grandchild or a new address
How our flat fees workPlanning, explained
Each service has its own page in plain words: what it is, who it suits, what it costs.
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Documents
Wills
A clear will that says who receives what, who is in charge, and who would raise your children.
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Trusts
Revocable living trusts
A trust lets the people you choose step in quietly, without probate court, if you die or can no longer manage things.
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Decisions
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Care
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Family
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Business
Free workshops
View all workshopsCommunity evenings, breakfast talks and online sessions. No sales pitch, and nobody passes round a sign-up sheet.
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Workshop
Wills or trusts? An evening of plain answers
Tuesday, November 10, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Our office, Ann Arbor (20 seats)
Example date
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Online
Planning for a child with special needs
Saturday, November 21, 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.
Online, by video
Example date
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Lunch hour
You've been named trustee. Now what?
Thursday, December 3, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.
Online, by video
Example date
Flat-fee plans
One price, agreed before we begin
No hourly bills for phone calls. We quote your flat fee in writing at the end of the first meeting, and it only changes if you ask us to add something.
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Will Plan
From
$1,450
per person, $1,950 for a couple
The essential documents every adult should have, done properly and explained in plain words.
What's in the Will Plan -
Trust Plan
Most families choose thisFrom
$3,400
per person, $3,900 for a couple
A revocable living trust at the center, with the funding done properly so it works when it is needed.
What's in the Trust Plan -
Legacy Plan
From
$5,900
per person, $6,600 for a couple
For a child with special needs, a blended family, a business or property in more than one place.
What's in the Legacy Plan
Three unhurried steps
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Step 1
A free first conversation
About an hour, at the office, your home or on video. You talk, we listen, and you leave with a flat fee in writing.
Book a consultation -
Step 2
Drafts in plain English
Within about two weeks, a one-page summary and your drafts. Read them at home and mark anything that feels off.
What a will covers -
Step 3
A calm signing, then we stay in touch
About an hour with witnesses and a notary. Small updates are free for a year, and we write every three years after.
How we work
After a death
If you've just been named trustee, start here
Being named trustee is an honor and a job. You do not have to work it out alone, and there is very little that must happen in the first week.
Very little has to happen in the first week. Keep the home safe, keep the insurance paid, and order a few death certificates. When you are ready, the first meeting is free.
Trust administration
The firm
A small firm, on purpose
Three attorneys and one very organised paralegal, in Ann Arbor since 2006. You will know who is working on your plan, and the person who answers the phone will know your name.
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Ruth Fairholme
Founding attorney
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Daniel Cho
Partner
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Leah Brandt
Attorney
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Marcus Bell
Senior paralegal and signing coordinator
Hear from our clients
In their own words. Every family is different, and a review is not a promise about yours.
Read more reviewsWe had put this off for ten years. Ruth made it feel like a conversation, not a test. We signed three weeks later and honestly sleep better.
Our son has autism. They explained the SSI rules better than anyone had before, and helped us finally write the letter of intent we kept meaning to do.
My dad's trust needed handling while I lived in Ohio. Leah sent a checklist, called every two weeks, and never made me feel rushed. It took about ten months.
As co-trustees, my sister and I were nervous about getting along. Having one calm person explain each step to both of us helped more than I can say.
The workshop was genuinely useful and nobody tried to sell me anything. I booked a consultation a month later, on my own time.
The online session about being a trustee was clear and kind. I left with a checklist I've already used.
Contact us
Book a free consultation-
Call the office
(734) 555-0136, Monday to Friday
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Email us
We reply within one working day
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Come to a workshop
Free, friendly, no sales pitch
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Trustees and executors
Help after a death, at your pace
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Update an existing plan
Plan reviews from $450
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Find the office
301 Huron Glen Court, Suite 2, Ann Arbor