Preparing for your farm's future
We understand how difficult some estate/succession planning situations can be. Farms are often a mixture of various businesses, and family members may have different desires and expectations for the transfer of a farm. As you start thinking about your estate plan or succession of your farm business, consider checking out the resources below.
Resources
Free, fillable Power of Attorney forms are now available. These user-friendly forms were prepared by the Kimble Center for Legal Drafting at Cooley Law School. The forms make it easier for Michigan residents and their family members to appoint a trusted individual to make important financial and medical decisions on their behalf if they become unable to do so.
In 2024, legislation updated Michigan’s Power of Attorney statute under the Uniform Power of Attorney Act which has been adopted by more than 30 other states. While the law itself includes a statutory form, it is not downloadable or fillable. The forms provided by the Kimble Center for Legal Drafting are fully compliant with the new statute.
The available forms include:
- Finances Power of Attorney (PDF): This form lets users decide who makes financial decisions for them if they can’t make them for themselves.
- Medical Power of Attorney (PDF): This form lets users decide who makes health-care decisions for them if they can’t make them for themselves.
Please note that it if you plan to use a Power of Attorney form with a bank, credit union, insurance company, or medical provider, they may have their own forms that you can use as well. Sometimes this can make it easier to deal with the institution involved.
Additional Resources
Take Root Conference
Looking for help navigating the transition of a family farm business to the next generation? Take Root Conference, a statewide farm succession and estate planning event, will return in 2026. Keep an eye on the Take Root page for more updates.