Individual Services – Estate planning, probate, and family law

• Are Your Digital Assets Included in Your Estate Plan?

  May 2, 2016

  (May 3, 2016) For many of us life has changed drastically.  Although, if you are like me, the change has been slow, we must face the inevitable.  We used to pay bills by check through the USPS, receive hard copy bank statement in our mailbox, organize receipts in filing cabinets, and store photos in photo […]

• Should I Sign a Trust?

  March 1, 2016

  People regularly ask me whether they should have a Trust, or “just” a Will.  The answer is:  “It depends.”  First, let’s start with some definitions. What Is a Will? Most people have a general understanding of a Will.  In short, it lays out instructions for the distribution of property upon the owner’s death, names a […]

• Michigan Supreme Court Permits Homeowners to Recover Transfer Taxes

  October 6, 2015

  (October 8, 2015) This summer, the Michigan Supreme Court issued an opinion in Gardner v. Department of Treasury, ruling that homeowners who can demonstrate, when they sell their principal residence, that the state equalized value (SEV) at the time of sale is less than or equal to the SEV at the time of their purchase […]

• A Primer on Asset Purchase Agreements

  June 8, 2015

  Most business transactions are structured as either a “stock sale” or an “asset sale.”  When a business sells its assets, the primary agreement governing the transaction is an Asset Purchase Agreement (the “APA”).  While the details contained in an APA will depend on the specifics of each business transaction, there are several key questions that […]

• A Primer on Stock Purchase Agreements

  June 8, 2015

  Most business transactions are structured as either a “stock sale” or an “asset sale.”  When a business owner sells stock, the primary agreement governing the transaction is a Stock Purchase Agreement (the “SPA”).  While the specifics of each business transaction will drive the details contained in the SPA, there are several key questions that will […]

• New Michigan Personal Property Tax Exemption Requirements

  January 26, 2015

  (January 26, 2015) The personal property tax reform mandated by Michigan voters by way of Proposal 1 last August is now in effect. This is welcome news for businesses, especially manufacturers. However, the new statutory provisions have their share of nuances and steps to take in order to benefit from the reform.  There are two main […]