Providing Creative Solutions For Your Legal Needs
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…
Hundreds of laws are passed by the Michigan Legislature each year on issues ranging from CPR instruction to morel mushroom hunting. It’s easy to assume that these new laws won’t have much impact on our lives. In terms of sheer numbers, that attitude is understandable. For the past two sessions of the Legislature, more than 1,600 bills were introduced and…
I’m now a published author! My advice regarding divorce and dealing with ex-spouses that I gave on the Impact Makers Radio program in April was selected to be included in a book that recently became available on Amazon called Stress-Free Divorce Volume 02. The book was ranked this week in the Kindle Store as #15 for Kindle eBooks in the…
Frank and Sarah wed when they were in their early 20s, and the newly minted couple moved to Florida from the Midwest in search of warmer weather and adventures. But after several years of frequent moves throughout Florida and now with two children, Sarah found that her marriage to Frank was headed for divorce as she yearned for stability and…