Estate Planning begins and ends with an open and honest conversation. Put simply, if you and your partner suffer a tragic fate, will your children be taken care of, will your possessions be handed out according to your wishes, and will you have a plan in place for anyone entrusted to make those decisions?
When Properly Designed, Estate Planning can:
Keep most (or all) of your assets from going through a costly and lengthy Probate Court process.
Name a guardian and financial manager to care for your minor children in case you no longer around.
Provide instructions to your loved ones regarding your wishes for a burial and funeral.
Minimize taxes, court costs, and unnecessary legal fees.
Protect your assets from getting into the hands of loved ones’ creditors.
Provide for your own care and protection in the event you become incapacitated or disabled.
Provide for the transfer of your business at your retirement, disability, or death.
Provide a means to pass along values to your children and family, including religion, education, work-ethic, and compassion!
Provide for family members with special needs without disrupting government benefits.
Provide for loved ones who might be irresponsible with money or who may need future protection from creditors or divorce.
Eliminate the opportunity for disagreements between your loved ones over how to handle your estate, assets, and burial.
Protect your medical wishes with a health care proxy. Learn how Southeast Michigan residents can safeguard their future decisions with guidance from our attorneys in Detroit, Dearborn, and Royal Oak.
Confused about revocable vs. irrevocable trusts? Our estate planning attorneys in Detroit, Dearborn, and Royal Oak explain the pros and cons of each. Learn which trust best suits your needs, offering flexibility, asset protection, and tax benefits. Serving Southeast Michigan, we help you make informed decisions to protect your legacy.
Demystify Michigan estate planning. This guide covers wills, trusts, and other legal documents that safeguard your legacy while highlighting the importance of working with qualified estate planning attorneys.
Discover the best places to store your will with this guide from an estate planning lawyer. Explore pros and cons of home safes, safe deposit boxes, online storage, and more.
Estate Planning is about ensuring that there is a plan for what happens to you, your belongings, your children, and your assets after you pass on or become incapacitated. Whether you have millions in assets or are living on a pension, having an estate plan is crucial to making sure you leave behind a legacy that is respectful and deserving of you and your family.
It’s never too early to start planning for the future! Becoming a parent is an amazing experience, but it also brings immense responsibility. Estate planning is a crucial step to ensure that your children are taken care of and your wishes are respected. Check out our blog to learn more about the importance of estate planning for new parents!
An often-overlooked aspect of estate planning that is becoming more and more relevant each day is the handling of your social media, email, and other online accounts.
While we don’t have a true “digital afterlife” as depicted in Amazon’s new show Upload (not yet at least), your online accounts contain a treasure trove of personal information, data, photos and other valuable assets such as digital downloads, reward points, credit vouchers, cash, and cryptocurrency.
Unless you proactively plan for these digital accounts, your online life, after death, might continue indefinitely in ways you didn’t envision - with no one having any power to change it.
Don’t take this the wrong way – I hope you and your family stay healthy and safe, but in the event you or a loved one gets sick and needs to go to the hospital or self-quarantine, it is critical that you have a plan in place that addresses certain medical and financial matters.
Learn crucial estate planning lessons from celebrities like Prince, Michael Jackson, and David Bowie. Protect your legacy with expert estate planning services in Southeast Michigan.