A Confession From Early in My Career I wasn’t long out of law school when Melissa walked into my office. She was forty-one years old, fourteen years into a marriage, and two weeks removed from discovering her husband’s affair. She sat across from me and told me her story – the discovery, the confrontation, the … Read more
If you and your spouse both die tomorrow, do you know who raises your children? If you don’t have a guardianship nomination in place, the answer is simple and terrifying: a Michigan probate judge who has never met your family decides. Under MCL 700.5204, the court appoints a guardian based on the child’s best interests … Read more
An estate plan should not be signed and forgotten. As life, laws, and finances change, an outdated plan can cause confusion or conflict among family members. Many clients in Southeast Michigan have discovered that major life events rendered their documents obsolete. Michigan estate planning is governed by the Estates and Protected Individuals Code (EPIC), MCL … Read more
It started as a night out. A birthday dinner, a few drinks, some dancing. For most people, that’s just a Friday. But for a mother in the middle of a custody dispute in Oakland County, what started as a fun night became a legal crisis – and it all unfolded in real time on her … Read more
A power of attorney is a key legal document under Michigan law. It allows a principal to grant an agent authority to act on their behalf in financial, real estate, banking, and other legal matters. Without a valid power of attorney, families may need to seek court approval to manage a loved one’s affairs. Michigan … Read more
A Michigan couple spent thirty years building a comfortable estate, a paid-off home, retirement savings, a brokerage account, life insurance. When they passed, their three adult children each inherited roughly $500,000. No strings attached. No restrictions. Just outright distributions, exactly as the will directed. Within eighteen months, here’s what happened. Their daughter deposited her inheritance … Read more
It Started With a Hesitation at the Car Door Three years ago, Ryan and his nine-year-old son JT had a normal relationship. Not perfect, divorce is never perfect, but normal. JT was enthusiastic about both homes. Exchanges were civil. His school records were stable. By any reasonable measure, the family was adjusting. Then something shifted. … Read more
When a loved one dies, immediate access to bank accounts is often a concern. Many assume a spouse or child can withdraw funds right away, but Michigan law does not always allow this. Access depends on account titling and prior estate planning. We advise clients in Oakland and Macomb Counties, and Southeast Michigan area, that … Read more
You thought Medicaid covered Mom’s nursing home care. It did, for as long as she was alive. Then a letter arrived from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services demanding reimbursement from her estate. The house you grew up in? It’s now at risk. Most Michigan families have no idea this is coming. They … Read more
When a marriage ends, one of the most common concerns we hear is whether an inheritance is at risk. Many people assume that anything received from a parent or relative is automatically protected. Michigan law does offer strong safeguards for inherited property, but those protections are not absolute. The way an inheritance is handled before … Read more
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Phone
Main Office 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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