Blog
Protecting Grandma – Institute of Gerontology tools to fight financial exploitation
By: Leslie MertzWill knew something was wrong as soon as he heard his mother's shaky message on his phone. When he got to her apartment, he found her sitting in a chair -- a lost look on her face and a bank statement in her lap. She blinked up at him and in a tiny...
Do You Have A Social Media Will?
Published in the Ferndale Patch By Mera McKenna (Patch Staff) - January 24, 2017 4:00 pm ETOAKLAND COUNTY, MI -- What would happen to your Facebook page if you were to pass away tomorrow? It's a grim question - yet one we should all be asking ourselves according to...
Avoiding mistakes when buying a residential property
Buying a home can be a wonderful step for your family, but purchasing real estate can be an arduous and complicated process. From inspections to transferring the title, there are many steps before you can take ownership and move into your new Michigan home. Due to the...
What if estate planning benefited you now and later?
Many people delay writing a will. Perhaps it's due to fear of the unknown, or anxiety at the thought of the end of life. It's understandable. You may have thought about what you'd like to happen when you die, but you're afraid to put it in writing because it feels too...
What will happen to your digital afterlife?
In past generations, family members, fiduciaries and other individuals often had to scour through safe-deposit boxes, desks and boxes to gather documents and photos left behind by a loved one. As our culture continues to move further away from paper toward a paperless...
Should your estate make room for frozen embryos?
When most people hear the phrase "estate plan," they usually associate the task of allocating assets, assigning executors and beneficiaries, and establishing trusts to elderly folks with money. What is actually the case is that most individuals who have assets benefit...
Understanding tax deeds and quiet title actions in Michigan
The residential and commercial real estate markets in Detroit, and throughout Michigan, have been taken on a proverbial roller-coaster ride in recent years. Despite past turmoil, investing in real estate remains a vital interest for homeowners, investors and...
Unmarried cohabitating couples face unique estate issues
Unmarried couples who live together in Michigan face a unique set of legal matters related to estate and probate planning. Couples who live together but aren't married may be doing so for a variety of reasons. Usually, these types of couples are younger and do not...
Understanding Powers of Attorney in Michigan
No matter how much we try, we cannot predict the future. The best we can do is to prepare for it. If you are at any point unable to manage your assets and affairs, you will want someone in charge of all of these things whom you have chosen and that you know has your...
Contesting a will in Michigan
If you suspect the will your loved one left is not what they intended it to be, you may have grounds to contest their will. Contesting a will simply means that you are concerned about the validity of the document. Although this is somewhat rare, it is certainly...
