Different documents have different amounts of time that they should be kept. Tax returns, home sale documents, estate documents, and a death certificate are just some of the things that you might have left after the passing of a loved one. A general rule for keeping documents is to keep them for 7 years after [...]
Family Disputes Over Estates Happen Too Often Feuding over the estate of a loved one is a surefire way to cause separation within a family. Even within my own family there have been many arguments concerning assets that belonged to my grandfather. Not having a will or an estate plan can leave things messy, and [...]
Aretha Franklin - Queen of Soul We learned recently that Aretha Franklin, the late Detroit native and Queen of Soul to millions of her fans around the world, has died without a will. News reports to this effect broke early last week, causing many to wonder how this will affect the vast wealth she accumulated [...]
August is National Make-A-Will Month! Having a will not only ensures that your wishes are carried out after your passing, but it also protects your loved ones from potentially lengthy and expensive court proceedings. Common misconceptions about making a will are you think you’re too young, you think creating one is too expensive, and you [...]
TITLE: Associate Attorney The Probate Pro (www.theprobatepro.com), a division of the Darren Findling Law Firm, a growing probate, trust administration, and estate planning law firm in downtown Royal Oak seeks an associate level attorney. This attorney should have the ability to communicate and work effectively with clients and firm personnel. One must be comfortable working [...]
An electronic will was accepted as valid, but at what cost to the heirs? A Michigan man passes away and leaves behind, in lieu of a properly drafted will, a handwritten note that directs to a will that he wrote out on his cellphone. The man left his mother out of the will that he [...]
It is with great excitement that we welcome Brandon Thomson to our legal team! Brandon began sharing his talent with us as an official Probate Pro earlier this month. Brandon joins us after a fruitful career serving practice areas very similar to our own, but also including elder law, Medicaid planning, and Veterans administration benefits. [...]
Don’t let your investments end up being considered just “personal property.” After your death, all of the things in your home or office are considered “personal property” and depending on how you’ve planned, may become subject to the determination of the person appointed as your personal representative. The personal representative can decide to sell them, [...]
Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain’s Tragic Suicides Can Teach us about Estate Planning Earlier this month, famous fashion designer Kate Spade and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain were victims of apparent suicide. Their tragic deaths were unexpected by fans all over the world, even close family and friends. The topics of mental illness, depression, and suicide [...]
Probate costs can far exceed the cost of personally crafted estate plan. Everyone’s situation is different, and therefore, everyone has a different need for an estate plan. An estate plan is personalized and created custom to fit your needs. You could say that getting a skillfully drafted estate plan is one of the best investments [...]
