Mara Kent

Probate and Estate Planning Certificate, State Bar of Michigan and Institute of Continuing Legal Education

Co-Chair Estate Planning and Probate Section, Washtenaw County Bar Association

Member, Probate and Estate Planning, Elder Law, Children’s Law, and Business Law sections, Michigan State Bar

Member, Washtenaw County Estate Planning Council and Elder Justice Coalition Steering Committee

Member, National Association of Charitable Gift Planners

Member, The Planned giving Roundtable of Southeast Michigan

“I am privileged to help people plan for and deal with life’s most important and challenging events and provide for generations to come. Nothing is more satisfying professionally than to earn a client’s trust and have them recommend me to their friends and family.”

Mara Kent prides herself on compassionate, prompt, and thorough legal service to her clients. A licensed attorney for more than 21 years, she is experienced in planning, negotiation, mediation, and court representation. At NSSS&B, her practice includes estate plans, wills, trusts and trust administration, probate, prenuptial planning, adoption, powers of attorney, elder law and long-term care planning, and business and contract law.

Mara believes that a solid estate plan is a priceless gift to one’s family and future generations. To that end, Mara helps families plan for major life events, anticipating problems before they arise to minimize court involvement, expense, and stress. She helps clients avoid potential family conflicts over their future care, care of loved ones, or distribution of their estate.

She is skilled in complex planning issues involving children and adults with special needs.

Mara received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and is a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, where she was second in her class. While in law school, she worked in the office of general counsel for Ford Motor Company and went on to distinction as a law clerk for former Michigan Supreme Court Justice Michael F. Cavanagh. From 2000–14, Mara was a tenured professor at the Thomas M. Cooley Law School and continues to teach as a Senior Professor Emerita.

In the Ann Arbor area, Mara volunteers for Habitat for Humanity and Alpha House, a family homeless shelter. She and her husband Tom are both U-M graduates and natives of Ann Arbor, where they raise two teenage daughters.