Firm News

As an estate planning attorney, it seems that about 75% of my clients (or potential clients) don’t have a will – a percentage that continually surprises me with so much at stake. Not having a will is particularly risky for parents with minor children. To die without a will is to die intestate. Without the direction that a will provides,…

In my experience as a family law attorney, I’ve learned that a client facing an imminent divorce – whether my client plans to file for divorce or whether my client has been served with divorce papers – feels less stress and anxiety if I explain the divorce process and what to expect, even before the matter gets to court. My…

In Part 1 of this blog series, I discussed the basic issues my clients need to consider before a divorce goes to court, such as living arrangements and monthly expenses. For Part 2 of the series, I will discuss some equally important issues related to the emotional side of divorce – issues that can be just as challenging as the…

Noah and Emma were moving along pretty well with their life plan – two adorable children, a home in a good neighborhood, minimal debt and some money in their 401-Ks. Like most young couples, they worried about their children should the unthinkable happen – that both parents die at the same time. While they both enjoyed good health and a…

Because it is commonplace for divorced (or widowed) spouses to remarry, blended families – where one or both spouses have children from prior marriages – are now quite common. I am often asked by clients how they can protect their children from prior marriages in situations that involve guardianship and inheritance. In my experience, individuals who remarry after divorce often…

It is becoming increasingly common in the United States for babies to be born to unwed couples – a little more than 40 percent of all births in this country were to unmarried mothers in 2014, compared with less than 20 percent in 1980. That is a sobering statistic for single mothers because studies show they face greater economic challenges…

Noah and Emma felt great peace about naming Emma’s sister as guardian of their two young children through their wills, but they were grappling with the implications of using the same will for distribution of their assets. (See Part 1 here) Under Michigan law, beneficiaries of a will receive their full inheritance when they turn 18 years old – and…

For Harry and Sally, children entering adulthood was another parenthood milestone. They gradually accepted the need to talk with their children as full-fledged adults, particularly regarding family matters that could impact the children’s lives. Although uncomfortable, those discussions focused on decisions that would have to be made if Harry and Sally became disabled or died. Matters were complicated somewhat by…

I love practicing law in West Michigan because it puts me in touch with some really wonderful and humble people. You would feel the same way too if you had a chance to hear how a number of my clients discuss sharing their earthly belongings in their final statement — their Trust or Will. Some clients are shy, almost to…

Fred and Mary had deeded their cottage on Houghton Lake to their three children as a way to pass along the property when it became too expensive to maintain as they entered retirement. But use of a deed to convey the cottage and lakefront to three people and their heirs became a source of friction — the exact opposite of…