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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
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 don’t … 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
Nursing home care in Southeast Michigan now costs between $10,000 and $15,000 per month – that’s $120,000 to $180,000 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 … 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
Someone you love has died. Now, amid grief, you’re confronting questions that most people never think about until it’s too late: What are you legally entitled to inherit? Does a missing will change everything? Could family members you barely know have a claim to the estate? Here’s the core trap most Southeast Michigan heirs fall … Read more
If you own a suppressor, short-barreled rifle, or any other NFA-regulated firearm in Macomb County, you already know the federal rules are unforgiving. What many Michigan gun owners don’t realize is that the biggest legal risk isn’t at the range, it’s at the kitchen table, years from now, when your family tries to figure out … Read more
Many Michigan residents try to handle estate planning on their own using online forms or generic templates. At first glance, do-it-yourself estate plans seem simple, affordable, and convenient. In reality, these plans often fail when they are tested under Michigan law. We regularly meet families in Oakland County and Macomb County who believed they were … Read more
Every estate plan answers a fundamental question: what happens to everything you’ve built? For many Michigan families, the answer includes more than just providing for loved ones. It includes giving back, to the communities, causes, and institutions that shaped their lives. But in 2026, charitable giving in estate planning carries new urgency. The One Big … Read more
You’ve been named successor trustee. Now what? For many Oakland County families, that question hits without warning. A parent passes away or becomes incapacitated, and suddenly a son, daughter, or trusted friend is responsible for managing a trust worth hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions, of dollars. There’s no court appointment, no formal swearing-in, no judge … Read more