Do I Actually Need a Will if I Do Not Have Much? Yes. A will does more than distribute assets. It names an executor to handle your affairs, designates guardians for minor children, and directs how any property not otherwise covered by beneficiary designations should pass on to the people you actually intend to receive  … Read more

An Estate Planning Tool Most People Have Never Heard Of Avoiding probate usually brings a living trust to mind first, but Michigan offers a simpler and often less expensive tool for one specific asset: the family home. The Lady Bird deed has quietly become one of the most popular estate planning devices in the state,  … Read more

A big concern for many of our estate planning clients is how they can help their loved ones save for their college educations. While there are many ways one can accomplish this goal, §529 savings plans offer a tax advantaged way to pay for college tuition that saving up money in a normal bank account  … Read more

A Will That Does Not Match the Person Who Signed It Family members sometimes look at a parent’s final will and see something almost unrecognizable, terms that favor one sibling dramatically, or provisions that seem to reflect a caregiver’s wishes rather than the person who supposedly wrote them. Michigan law provides a specific legal tool  … Read more

The federal cost-of-living adjustments for 2026 took effect on January 1. Many families read the headlines last fall, made a mental note, and never revisited their documents. With several months of the tax year still ahead, there is time to put the current rules to work before another set of adjustments arrives. The 2026 Federal  … Read more