A Team of Probate Law Attorneys To Help You When A Loved One Passes
If you want to make sure your loved ones are protected and taken care of after you have passed, you want to make sure you have a properly prepared estate plan in place. There are many tools available, and with our help you can make sure everything is handled to give you and your loved ones peace of mind. Whether it’s money or cherished family heirlooms, you can have everything put in place so your assets are distributed accordingly. Wills, trusts and beneficiary designations are some of the tools available for your estate plan. Of course, you can find various form documents online, but you always want to consult with an attorney before preparing any estate documents yourself. Will and trust documents are not just simply fill in the blank forms. There are many trustee and beneficiary laws that must be followed. For example, a beneficiary to a will may not witness the will. This can make the will void. If these documents are not prepared properly, your estate plan is useless. Of course, if you come into a situation where a loved one did not prepare their estate plan properly and they have already passed, we can also help you fix the estate so your loved one’s wishes can be preserved. A properly prepared estate plan avoids this situation, so that’s why they are imperative. While sometimes still possible, it can be difficult and costly to fix an ill prepared estate. Whatever your estate planning needs are, we can help and are here to assist you in making sure your final wishes are followed.
There are many areas of probate law, estate planning is just one. Another area deals with guardianships and conservatorships. Guardianships and conservatorships exist for both adult wards and minor wards. A guardianship is when a person or entity takes over the care of another person. Sometimes a full guardianship is not necessary and some other options are a limited guardianship or even a durable power of attorney for medical and/or financial decisions. These options are less invasive then a full guardianship and allow the ward to retain some control over decision making. However, sometimes when a person has been deemed a legally incapacitated individual a full guardianship becomes necessary because the ward is incapable of making decisions or taking care of themselves. A conservatorship is when a person or entity handles the person’s assets and makes financial decisions. A ward can have a different guardian and conservator or the same person, or entity, can be both guardian and conservator. There are specific rules governing guardianships and conservatorships. These are largely contained in EPIC, Michigan’s Estate and Protected Individuals Code. Whether you’re seeking to be a guardian or conservator or someone is seeking a guardianship or conservatorship over you, each party has important rights and responsibilities. It’s important to understand your rights and responsibilities and you want to make sure you consult with an attorney who knows the law. We do and whether you are establishing or contesting a guardianship or conservatorship, we can help you.
