Sometimes, despite our best efforts, dissent between family members just happens. Maybe so much so, that you think about disinheriting your child. If you die without a will, the laws of intestacy will dictate how your assets are distributed. In most States, if there is a surviving spouse then that spouse will take all of your estate [...]
News broke earlier this week that the late Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, had wills written out that were found between her couch cushions. What these wills represent are something called holographic wills. A holographic will is a will, but it ignores some of the formalities that go into putting together a will. Such formalities [...]
It seems like that with each passing day, we learn about a celebrity or famous figure who died without a will. Is it a big deal? The answer depends on the circumstances. When creating an estate plan, you'll be able to control how you want your affairs and life's assets to be taken care of. [...]
Often times, when people think of attorneys, the word “winning” comes to mind. Attorneys want to be winning cases. Winning leads to client satisfaction. Winning generates more clients. Winning rules all. With that said, while you want an attorney to win for you, you want someone who cares about you as a person too. As [...]
Last week, pop music star Britney Spears completed her 30-day stay at a mental health facility and has been doing just fine since. TMZ reported that the reasons for her being there stemmed from her father’s recent illness taking a toll on her, as well as her medicine not being as effective as it used [...]
Written by Brandon Thomson It happens quite often. A child or family member ends up caring for their parent or loved one who needs long-term care assistance. Most of the time, the caregiver is doing it out of the goodness of their heart. Mentioning that the caregiver could get paid to care for their [...]
Written by Darren Findling Utilizing the Spend Down Option to Maintain SSI and/or Medicaid Eligibility People with special health care needs and limited funds of their own often rely on public benefits for their well-being. Some of the most common public benefits include Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid. To be eligible for SSI and/or [...]
Written by Brandon Thomson A Question, Often Asked Here at The Probate ProSM, we are often asked this question: “If a loved one receives Medicaid benefits, will the State of Michigan take their home?” The answer … it depends. The State of Michigan may recover property from estates of certain deceased Medicaid beneficiaries who have [...]
The Lady Bird Deed is a specific type of deed that has become popular in recent years. The reason for its popularity is simple – it has many benefits. Some of the benefits include the ability to transfer property outside of probate without using a trust and the avoidance of Michigan Medicaid Estate Recovery. What [...]
The administration of a deceased’s estate can bring drama with it, and celebrity status in no way prevents the drama from happening. In fact, you could argue it creates more drama. Take for example the late Tom Petty. After his passing, Petty’s widow, Dana York Petty, became the trustee of the artist’s trust. As you’ll [...]
