No transfer-on-death deed — Michigan uses the original
Michigan has no statutory transfer-on-death deed. Instead, it's one of the original states recognizing the common-law Lady Bird deed, or enhanced life estate deed, which lets an owner keep full control — including the right to sell or mortgage — while a named beneficiary receives the property automatically at death. See our full guide to the Michigan Lady Bird deed.
A married couple's title gets strong, automatic protection
Michigan is one of the minority of states that retains the common-law tenancy by the entirety. A married couple holds real estate as a single title with automatic survivorship, and an individual creditor of just one spouse generally can't reach the property at all. Michigan extends a version of this same presumption to certain jointly held personal property, too. See our full breakdown of Michigan tenancy by the entirety, including a real case where a bank's own paperwork used the wrong label and it didn't matter.
Bank accounts follow the same married-couple presumption
Under Michigan statute, certain personal property made payable to a husband and wife — including many jointly titled accounts and securities — is presumed held as tenants by the entirety, unless an intent to hold otherwise was expressly stated. See our guide to Michigan beneficiary and P.O.D. accounts.
Where this feeds into other Michigan calculators
The probate-estate total from this tool is the starting point for Michigan's probate cost and executor fee calculators, and for checking Michigan's small estate procedures. Michigan has no state estate or inheritance tax, so this total doesn't feed into a separate state tax calculation.