Services

Estate Planning

Why prepare an estate plan? By taking time now to order your affairs, you can avoid probate, reduce costs, and provide a smoother transition of assets to your loved ones in the future. Without an estate plan, Michigan law will dictate where your assets go, potentially to people other than whom you would select.

While the components of an estate plan depend on your unique circumstances, most include a will, trust agreement, durable power of attorney, designation of patient advocate, HIPAA release authorization, and funding of the trust.

Estate Administration

When assets are in an individual’s name without a beneficiary, estate administration is required. A Last Will and Testament determines the Personal Representative of the estate and the recipients of one’s assets and acts as a set of instructions to the probate court and judge regarding who will administer the probate estate and where assets will pass. When no Will has been executed, the Estates and Protected Individuals Code of the State of Michigan sets out the priority for the Personal Representative of the estate and the estate’s recipients.

I can help you with the estate administration process by preparing and filing court documents necessary to administer the probate estate as well as advise on family conflicts and ensure compliance with the legal and tax requirements.

Trust Administration

If you have been named as the trustee and are responsible for gathering and distributing assets to beneficiaries, I can advise you and assist you with your duties to help you meet the legal requirements of your role.