You have done your estate plan. You have a will, financial and health care powers of attorney and maybe even a trust. You know how much it cost to set it up, but did you ever think about the overall …
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Is Your Estate Plan Like the Rich & Famous?
Aretha Franklin died last month with an estate estimated at some $80 million, and did not leave a will or trust. Although Aretha’s four sons are her heirs-at-law entitled to her assets under state law, a niece who handled finances …
Are You Prepared?
You have probably heard of the Scout motto, “Be Prepared.” The motto was devised in 1907 by Robert Baden-Powell, an English soldier who founded Scouting. He was once asked the inevitable follow-up question, “Prepared for what?” His response was “Why, …
New Year’s Estate Plan Resolutions
It’s New Year’s Eve. Have you made your New Year’s resolutions for 2018? If you have, you are with the majority of respondents of a recent YouGuv online survey. The top four resolutions for 2018 were to eat better, exercise …
Plan While You Can
Would you agree that you have more options now while you are alive and well, than after you’re dead? Would you also agree that you have more options now when you are alive and well, than after you are mentally …
More Estate Planning Questions
On a daily basis in our office, we get a lot of estate planning questions because of all the estate planning that we do. In this column, I like to periodically cover the questions we get. Today, we are going …
No Will? You Still Have a Plan
Last week, we discussed that to make your will work, it had to go through the probate court process. But what if you have not will or trust? Well firstly, you would be like the majority of people in America …
Wills Won’t Work Without Probate
“Mom’s (or Dad’s) will says I get everything. I took the will to the bank. Why won’t they give me my money?” We get this question all the time. We heard it again this week. What many beneficiaries do not …
Who Needs Estate Planning?
You are age 18 or over. You are also with the majority of Michiganders and have done no estate planning. No will, no trust, no financial or health care powers of attorney, no nothing. If you became mentally incapacitated, do …
Choose the Right Person for the Job
You are doing your estate plan. You have to choose people for certain duties. You may be tempted to name your spouse or the kids in birth order because you think that this is the fair thing to do. But …