Individual Services – Estate planning, probate, and family law

• Michigan’s DAPT Law Protects Assets from Creditors

  March 8, 2017

  Governor Snyder recently signed Michigan’s Qualified Dispositions in Trusts Act, which takes effect on March 8, 2017.  In so doing, Michigan joins 16 other states that permit a particular form of trust commonly known as “domestic asset protection trust” (or DAPT).  A DAPT is an irrevocable trust whose assets the grantor’s creditors cannot reach if […]

• Michigan Legislature Abolishes Dower

  January 22, 2017

  Governor Rick Snyder signed legislation on January 6, 2017 abolishing a surviving wife’s dower right in her deceased husband’s property, making Michigan the final state to eliminate this law. However, some states still retain a form of dower, but in order to prevent discrimination on the basis of sex, they offer a reciprocal right to […]

• How Does the Election Impact Estate and Gift Taxes?

  November 20, 2016

  (November 21, 2016) The recent election could mean significant changes in estate and gift tax laws.  We believe recent regulatory efforts to abolish valuation discounts will effectively be suspended, and the federal estate/gift tax may soon be repealed. Under current federal estate and gift tax laws, a person is typically taxed at about a 40% […]

• New Ruling Impacts Child Support for Children over 18

  November 17, 2016

  (November 17, 2016) In a published opinion, the Michigan Court of Appeals has clarified the meaning of “full-time basis” for child support after a child’s 18th birthday.  In Weaver v Giffels, the Court of Appeals reversed a ruling by a Kalamazoo Circuit Court Judge which allowed child support beyond a child’s 18th birthday under the […]

• Court of Appeals Rules on Parenting Rights for Unmarried Same-Sex Couples

  July 11, 2016

  A July 5, 2016 decision by the Michigan Court of Appeals will affect unmarried same-sex couples. In Lake v Putnam, the court rejected a claim for custody and parenting time made by the former same-sex partner of the child’s biological mother, where the parties had been in a relationship for 13 years, the child was conceived […]

• 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 […]