You finally have been able to complete your estate plan. You have financial and health care powers of attorney, a will and maybe even a trust. It often takes a long time to get up the nerve to go to …
Currently browsing Trusts
Titling of Assets
So you have your trust based estate plan. In addition to your trust, your trust based estate plan should also include, at a minimum, your financial and healthcare powers of attorney and your pour-over will. Your financial and healthcare powers …
The Court Can’t Stop Stupid
You may have read Dear Abby’s column last week from Conflicted Sis In Maryland, in which Grandmother left some money to her grandson who was a life-long drug addict. Grandmother named grandson’s sister as executor (personal representative in Michigan.) Sister …
If There Is No Will, There Is A Way
If you are like the majority of people in America, you do not have a signed will. Just because you do not have a signed will, does not mean you do not have a “will”. In the absence of a …
How to Leave an Inheritance to a Child or Other Beneficiary
You want to leave everything to your children or other beneficiaries after you are gone. If you are like many people whose estate plans I have reviewed, you may have just left outright distributions to them. However, when you leave …
How to Leave an Inheritance to your Spouse
Are you going to leave anything to your spouse when you are gone? If so, there are lots of ways to leave an inheritance to your spouse. If not, you can stop reading now. The four most common ways that …
Per Stirpes or Not Per Stirpes
You have a will or a trust in which you leave your property to your family or other beneficiaries when you are gone. As a backup plan, your will or trust should have contingent beneficiaries named in the instance that …
Wills Guarantee Probate
“Dad’s (or Mom’s) will says I am the sole beneficiary. I took the will to the bank, but the bank refused to give me my money. Why won’t the bank give me my money, when Dad’s (or Mom’s) will says …
Elder Financial Abuse
As the economy sinks in Michigan, financial abuse of the elderly is rising. The number of cases of financial exploitation of the elderly investigated by the Department of Human Services has nearly quadrupled since 2000. When you hear of elder …
Shackup Agreement
You have decided to move in with your partner. You have a committed relationship that may even have been blessed by your church, but for a variety of reasons, you will not be married. It could be that you are …