» Estate planning

For many people, the motivation for creating an estate plan is the birth of a child. Becoming a parent and becoming responsible for another life tends to focus your attention on planning for the future! The hope, of course, is that you will be around… Read More

Trusts have become increasingly popular as an estate planning tool in recent years. Trusts aren’t just for the wealthy. They are useful for anyone who does not want their assets to have to go through probate at their death. A trust is a legal relat… Read More

Legally, pets are considered property. But anyone who actually has a pet understands that they are much more than that—pets are members of the family. You create an estate plan to protect the human members of your family. But have you considered es… Read More

More than half of American adults don’t have a last will and testament or any type of estate plan. Many of them have been meaning to get around to estate planning, but have put it off for one reason or another. But many others simply don’t see th… Read More

Conservators have been in the news lately, with singer Britney Spears pushing back in court against her father’s 13-year conservatorship over her. Many of the people standing outside the courthouse waving “FREE BRITNEY” signs have only a vague… Read More

Estate planning, including preparing your will, is filled with big decisions. One of the most important is your choice of executor (also called a “personal representative”). Your executor is the person who will administer your estate after your d… Read More

Avoiding probate is a priority for many people, and understandably so; they don’t want their family, already grieving their loss, to be confronted with administrative difficulties in settling their estate. Estate planning tools, such as living trus… Read More

Fewer than one percent of wills are challenged in court, and many of those challenges are unsuccessful. The fact of the matter is, it is not easy to overturn a will, or even a provision in a will. That said, the law of every state, including Michigan… Read More