As you can tell by the name of our practice, probate is the field of law which we practice. Because of this, it’s up to us to educate you on the basics of probate. Let’s face it: it’s not pervasively known to people until they’re involved with it. You've probably needed to use Google to [...]
Let’s face it, not a lot of people are familiar with probate law. That being said, the Internet has served billions of people worldwide as the answer to the questions they have. If you want to learn how to repair a faucet on your own, but have no training in plumbing, what do you do? [...]
You’ve been appointed the personal representative of a deceased estate in the State of Michigan. Now, it is time to present the probate inventory. First, you need to complete the Estate Court Administrator form for the preparation of the required probate inventory. This form is required under both Michigan statute and Michigan Court Rule. We [...]
A lawsuit is going to be filed on behalf of a minor or incompetent individual, or against a minor or incompetent individual. What do you do? In the State of Michigan, there are specific rules designed around what happens if the plaintiff in an action needs protection in the form of a fiduciary, whether it’s [...]
It’s an often-asked question, but to those of us in probate, it’s an age-old question. Does a will avoid probate? The answer to this question is no, a will does not clear way. A will is a document that guides you through the probate process. The only way to avoid probate is if there were [...]
There are two primary ways in which probate estate is opened in the State of Michigan. Why are there two different ones? Because there’s an informal process and a formal probate process. Each one has different steps and requirements. Which one you use is going to depend on your situation. Let’s cover the informal and [...]
Someone has died and you wish to open a probate estate through an application for informal probate. But how does that work? Let’s go over how to open a probate estate using the informal process. There are a variety of ways in which an estate can be opened. One of the ways is through the [...]
You’ve got a probate estate open and you’re the personal representative, but don’t know how to administer a probate estate. Plus, you must pay creditors, settle all the debts, pay all the exemptions, allowances and administrative expenses. Let’s go over on how to distribute an estate. Once you’ve liquidated all the estate assets and are [...]
You’ve probably read it by now, seen it on the television screen or heard it on the radio. Kobe Bryant, basketball legend – along with eight other passengers, including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna – were killed in a helicopter accident on January 26. Typing those words still don’t feel right. LA Times Columnist Bill Plaschke [...]
Sadly, we’ve seen it often– grieving families leaving the funeral home that is next to our office. We know that these families leaving the funeral home are going through an emotionally tolling experience. Usually after the funeral, these families will be in need of a probate attorney to help get the decedent’s assets distributed through [...]
