Trust is a word with multiple meanings. We all know trust means that you have firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability or strength of someone else. Trust also has a legal definition, which pertains to an arrangement whereby a person (the trustee) holds an asset such as property or money for the benefit of [...]
Why should an estate plan be top-of-mind for millennials? The truth is, we cannot predict the future. We don’t know when our time will come. Terrible accidents happen all the time. What we do know is what a mess you could potentially be leaving behind if you do not have a will. As millennials begin [...]
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 [...]
Celebrity deaths can often trigger a public estate battle George Michael’s Will is being contested in England by two of his former partners, Kenny Goss, who he was with for 15 years, and Fadi Fawaz his partner of 5 years. George died back in December 2016, unfortunately. It is not uncommon for it to take [...]
Last month, Michelle Trent joined The Probate Pro team and she has been an amazing addition. Michelle comes to us with 5 years of litigation and personal injury practice experience. She looks forward to putting her legal skills, in and out of the courtroom, to work for our clients. Advocacy is her passion and she [...]
Choosing a Trustee – Why is this important again? I’ve admittedly put more thought into what kind of toothpaste I should buy than who I would appoint as my Trustee. While I am young, I know that one day, hopefully a long time from now, who I pick will become very important. Your family could [...]
Fund Your Trust. Fill Your Crust! Creating a trust is much like baking a pie. Whether you’ve bought a pre-made crust or made your own, there is still some prep in readying it for filling. “Creating” a trust is the same as preparing a crust – you’ve given shape and form to the trust, but [...]
Fictional Scenario: Our client who we prepared an estate plan for had just passed away. She had named her oldest daughter as the sole successor Trustee and divvied up her remaining assets among all four of her adult children. Three of her four children had given her grandchildren. The youngest daughter decided that she and [...]
As warm summer breezes slowly transform into cool Fall days, we begin dusting off the to-do list we started pre-June. For many, it’s weighted by our every-day business needs: preparing for tax season, annual reports, charitable holiday giving, and rearranging our work schedules to better align with our kids’ new school schedules. While I’m sure [...]
The common terms in estate planning can be confusing and overwhelming. Terms such as “grantor,” “trustee,” “settlor,” “successor trustee,” “executor,” “personal representative,” and many others are commonly used. So much legal vernacular is enough to make someone’s head spin, especially without any prior knowledge of estate planning. This post will focus on who a trustee [...]
