» Estates & Trusts
Can an Estranged Relative Contest My Estate?
June 27th, 2022
There are many reasons to create a will or estate plan: to provide for your family; to have peace of mind regarding the future; and to ensure that your wishes regarding your property will be carried out when you are no longer here. Usually, people wa…
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How To Make the Probate Court Process Easier
June 15th, 2022
After losing a loved one, the last thing most people want to do is go through a complicated court process to settle the estate. Depending on the circumstances, the probate process can be drawn out and stressful. Increasingly, people are turning to es…
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What is an In Terrorem Clause?
June 7th, 2022
One of the reasons you create an estate plan is to make sure that your wishes for the distribution of your property are honored. Another reason is to prevent your heirs and beneficiaries from arguing over your estate. Sadly, even if you have a will,…
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New FDIC Regulations May Affect How Your Trust is Insured
May 27th, 2022
Trusts are a popular estate planning tool for many families because of the protections they provide. Depending on the type of trust, those protections may be against taxes, creditors, or even beneficiaries’ impulsive spending. But how are the asset…
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Why Do I Need to Set Up a Living Trust?
May 23rd, 2022
If you have been thinking about making or updating an estate plan, chances are you have wondered if you need a living trust. Once upon a time, most people thought of trusts as only for the wealthy. Having significant wealth is definitely a good reaso…
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What Legal Rights Does a Trust Beneficiary Have?
May 18th, 2022
At its most basic, a trust is a legal relationship between three parties: the grantor (also called the settlor or trustmaker), who creates the trust and funds it; the trustee, who is in charge of managing the trust and making distributions; and the b…
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What is the Michigan State Real Estate Transfer Tax (SRETT) Refund Rule?
April 20th, 2022
In Michigan, certain homeowners are eligible for a refund of the state real estate transfer tax (SRETT) when they sell their homes. Many homeowners are unaware of the availability of the SRETT refund, which means that they could be leaving hundreds o…
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Probate Litigation
March 28th, 2022
In Michigan, probate courts in each county handle specific types of cases, such as those regarding estates and trusts, guardianships and conservatorships, matters regarding developmentally disabled individuals, and the evaluation and care of individu…
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Schaaf v. Forbes: MI Case on a Trust's Authority to Convey Real Property
February 28th, 2022
Michigan recognizes a number of ways to own property jointly. One of these is a “joint tenancy with rights of survivorship.” In essence, what this means is that two or more joint tenants own equal shares of the property that were granted to them…
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What Are the Steps to Take as an Executor After a Loved One’s Death?
February 11th, 2022
If you are reading this blog post, there is a good chance that you recently lost someone close to you. If that is the case, you have our condolences. We understand what a difficult time this is. If you are a family member serving as an executor of an…
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