Dear Jonathan: Based on my research, I feel like I’m pretty well versed in what I am supposed to do when it comes to creating an estate plan for myself. Everything I have read says that I should have a will, powers of...more
2/7/2025
/ Asset Management ,
Beneficiaries ,
Durable Power of Attorney ,
Estate Planning ,
Estate Tax ,
Inheritance ,
Power of Attorney ,
Probate ,
Trustees ,
Trusts ,
Wills
Dear Jonathan: I just completed the probate of my late brother’s will. I was the personal representative he appointed to act on behalf of his estate. This was not a pleasant experience and in fact, was quite the opposite and...more
Dear Jonathan: My father, a widower, passed away a couple of months ago. Being his only child, he appointed me as his agent on his durable power of attorney so that I can handle his bill paying which I have been doing for the...more
Dear Jonathan: My parents just updated their estate plan and told me that they named me in their wills, their trust and their financial and health care durable powers of attorney to act for them when they can no longer act...more
Dear Jonathan: I am thinking about preparing my own estate planning documents, including a will, powers of attorney and a trust. A close friend of mine just went through this process and it cost her thousands of dollars and I...more
This is the second of three articles addressing the topic of what needs to be done when a spouse or loved one passes away. My last article addressed the immediate things that need to be done prior to the decedent’s funeral...more
6/14/2024
/ Annuities ,
Death Certificates ,
Deceased ,
Deeds ,
Estate Planning ,
Financial Statements ,
Funerals ,
Investment ,
Motor Vehicles ,
Pensions ,
Social Security ,
Tax Returns ,
Trusts ,
Wills
This is my third and final article addressing what needs to be done after a person passes away. Part 1 addressed what a person needs to do prior to the decedent’s funeral. Part 2 addressed those things that don’t typically...more
6/14/2024
/ 401k ,
Credit Cards ,
Death Benefits ,
Estate Planning ,
Funerals ,
Individual Retirement Account (IRA) ,
Investment ,
Life Insurance ,
Probate ,
Social Security Administration (SSA) ,
Survivor Benefits ,
Trusts ,
Wills
In Michigan, the age of majority is 18 years. This means that when a person turns age 18, they are no longer a minor and are considered to be a legal adult. Consequently when your child turns 18, you no longer have the legal...more
Occasionally clients will request, for one reason or another, that I mail them the originals of the estate planning documents I prepared for them so that they can have them executed outside of my office at a bank or some...more
The primary reason most people engage in estate planning is to name who they want to receive their assets when they pass away. Beneficiaries can be named in a will, a trust or pursuant to a beneficiary designation. When...more
When people decide to engage in estate planning, typically they focus on naming the beneficiaries of their estate and making sure their estate avoids probate when they pass away. In most cases, these concerns are addressed by...more
When someone dies there are many important things that need to be addressed by the survivor or survivors, and some of those things that need to be addressed are time sensitive.
...more