» Estate Planning

One question always asked at the seminars I give on living trusts and estate planning is: “How much does ‘it’ cost?” In a sense that question qualifies as an “oxymoron, meaning a phrase which is incongruous (not consistent with what is logi… Read More

How to Make a Family Meeting a Successful Part of the Estate Planning Process You’ve made the hard decisions, your documents are signed, your trust is funded, a business succession plan is in place. Congratulations, you’ve finished your estate pl… Read More

Check out this recent New York Times article, exploring the dispute over an heiresses’ $300 million dollar fortune. Does the family or the medical staff deserve the fortune? Click the link below. The New York Times–The Two Wills of the He… Read More

Michigan slayer statute applies to voluntary manslaughter too. Interesting how this issue will appear from time to time! A few years local dentist going through a divorce was shot in the back of the head in a rough part of town – wife was person of… Read More

On April 1, 2013, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette appointed Scott Pierangeli, Jim Riemland, and Paul Slough to serve as public administrators. Pierangeli will serve in Kalamazoo County, Riemland will serve in Berrien County, and Slough will s… Read More

In In Re: Stillwell Trust, a published Michigan Court of Appeals opinion, the court discussed two issues: whether hand-written notes constituted a valid amendment to the trust, and whether a child adopted after the settlor passed away was a grandchil… Read More

Governor Rick Snyder signed legislation allowing for the practice of trust decanting, meaning assets held by an irrevocable trust may be moved into a different trust. SB 978 and 979, drafted by attorney James Spica and sponsored by Tonya Schuitmaker,… Read More