Steven C. Cross

I am a Petoskey estate planning attorney and founder of Cross + Compass, PLC, serving individuals and families throughout Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Charlevoix, Traverse City, and Northern Michigan.

My practice focuses on estate planning, trusts, probate and trust administration, elder law and Medicaid planning, and real estate matters. I help clients create practical estate plans that protect their families, preserve what they have built, and provide clear direction when incapacity or death occurs.

I spent more than a decade as a senior trust officer, working directly with trusts, estates, trustees, beneficiaries, and families. That experience has shaped the way I practice law today. I believe an estate plan should do more than look good on paper - it should work when your family actually needs it.

I assist clients with wills, revocable living trusts, powers of attorney, patient advocate designations, cottage and vacation property planning, asset protection strategies, Medicaid planning, and advanced trust planning. I also guide trustees and personal representatives through Michigan trust and probate administration.

Real estate is another significant part of my practice. I regularly assist with deeds, inherited property, family cottages, trusts, property transfers, purchase agreements, and other real estate matters. I am also a licensed Michigan real estate broker, which gives me an additional perspective when estate planning, estate administration, and real estate intersect.

I earned my bachelor's degree in Economics from Northern Michigan University and my law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School.

At Cross + Compass, my goal is to make complicated legal issues understandable and give clients practical guidance they can feel confident about. Estate planning is ultimately about more than documents. It is about protecting the people you love, preserving what you have worked for, and providing peace of mind for the future.

Planning Today for Peace Tomorrow.