If you’re not married in Michigan, the law usually treats your partner like a legal stranger — even if you’ve lived together for 15 years, bought a house, and raised kids. Michigan has no statewide domestic partnership status, and “we’re basically married” doesn’t create property rights, support rights, or inheritance rights. Michigan abolished common law … Read more
If you’re a wartime veteran—or the surviving spouse of one—you may be sitting on benefits you don’t even know exist. VA Aid & Attendance can provide over $2,400 per month to help pay for long-term care. Yet most eligible veterans never apply. They don’t know the benefit exists, assume they don’t qualify, or get lost … Read more
For many Wayne County retirees, an IRA or 401(k) is the single largest asset they own — bigger than the house, bigger than savings, bigger than anything else in the estate. And yet it’s the asset most likely to be poorly coordinated with the rest of their legal plan. Here’s why that matters: retirement accounts … Read more
Real estate is often the most valuable asset in a Michigan probate estate — and the most complicated to handle. A family home in Macomb County, an investment property in Wayne County, a vacation cottage Up North — each presents its own set of legal, tax, and practical challenges that can delay probate, trigger unexpected … Read more
Why Paternity Is the Legal Foundation That Unlocks Everything Else Here’s the reality most unmarried parents in Lapeer County don’t fully grasp: a biological connection to your child means nothing in a Michigan courtroom until paternity is legally established. An unmarried father can change every diaper, attend every school event, and pay every bill — … Read more
You’re Not Alone in This Moment It’s 2:47 a.m. You’re awake again. Your spouse is asleep next to you, and you’re staring at the ceiling wondering if this marriage is actually over. You’ve been thinking about divorce for weeks. Maybe months. Maybe years. But you haven’t said it out loud yet. You’re Googling in the … Read more
When you have a child or family member with a disability, you think constantly about their future. Who will care for them when you’re gone? How will they afford the support they need? And how do you leave them an inheritance without destroying the government benefits keeping them alive? These aren’t abstract concerns for Macomb … Read more
Few post-divorce conflicts generate as much frustration as disagreements over where a child goes to school. One parent wants to switch districts after a move. The other insists the child stay enrolled where they’ve always been. One parent pushes for private school. The other says public school is fine — and refuses to share tuition … Read more
Nursing home care in Southeast Michigan now costs between $9,000 and $12,000 per month—that’s $108,000 to $144,000 per year. For middle-class families in Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, and the surrounding region, those numbers represent a very real threat to everything they’ve spent a lifetime building. A home. Savings. Investments meant for the next generation. Without … Read more
Your dog doesn’t care about your will. But your estate plan should care about your dog. Michigan law gives pet owners something most people don’t realize exists: a legally enforceable trust designed specifically for animals. Under MCL 700.7408, you can create a pet trust that funds your animal’s care, names a caregiver, appoints a trustee … Read more
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Address
Boroja, Bernier & Associates
Corporate Office
49139 Schoenherr Rd. Shelby Township, MI 48315
(586) 991-7611
By Appointment Only
100 West Big Beaver Road, Suite 200, Troy, MI 48084
(248) 677-2250
2723 South State Street, Suite 150, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 749-9400
120 N Washington Square Suite 300, Lansing, MI 48933
(517) 760-6600
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