When would I encounter a Guardian ad Litem? Let’s say you’re in court as the Personal Representative of your loved one’s estate and you have everything ready to go. You have your letters of authority, an inventory in hand, and you are about to petition the court to get approval to sell some real property. [...]
The probate court has delivered Letters of Authority appointing you as Personal Representative of your loved one’s estate. So, now what? This is a tremendous responsibility, and it is easy to get overwhelmed by the long list of what needs to be done, all the different court requirements and deadlines, and the arduous processes of [...]
So, you have been appointed the personal representative. Oh my! Now, what is my next step? Specifically, what are the responsibilities as Personal Representative? After reading this exhaustive list, you may feel completely exhausted! If so, give The Probate Pro a call at (248) 399-3300 and we can guide you through the process. Ensure that [...]
Letters of Authority are Simply a Document that Gives You the Power to Act The Probate Pro understands that there is much confusion as to the term Letters of Authority. After years of people calling me asking what the document means, I still wonder why it isn't simply called an Order of Authority. I am confident [...]
Recently Governor Snyder signed Public Act 310 of 2014, which expanded the available exemptions from property tax “uncapping” in Michigan. Beginning December 31, 2014, certain transfers to and from trusts, from probate estates, and within families will not be considered a transfer of ownership, and therefore will not trigger an uncapping of the property’s taxable [...]
Sadly, most people do not die with signifiant assets. Studies indicate that the average American has only $3,800 in savings and over $6,200 in credit card debt. Clearly, this is not the American Dream realized. If you include the value of a person's home, the average American's net worth is about $121,000. If home equity is excluded from [...]
We all understand the concept of majority rules. In many probate situations, having the economic majority can dictate who gets appointed personal representative. The importance of having the highest priority as personal representative to appointment cannot be overstated. The person that serves as the personal representative is able to dictate the way, speed, and manner in [...]
What is a Will? A Will is a written document in which the person making the Will specifies how he or she wants their probate property distributed upon death and designates a person to be in charge of managing the property after death. What is a holographic Will? A holographic Will is an unwitnessed handwritten [...]
What is Probate? The English noun “Probate” derives directly from the Latin verbs probo and probare, which means to try, test, prove, and examine. Historically, the probate process means the Will must be proved before the court. In the olden days, a paragraph in Latin was actually written by scribes within the Will, commencing with the words Probatum identifying that the Will was [...]
