» Estate Planning

I want to know if your adult children are productive citizens or drains on your bank account. Are they employed or underemployed? Are they shrewd investors or spendthrifts? Are all of your kids similar, or do their financial situations and personalit… Read More

Michigan’s lame duck legislature passed another notable statute that attempts to abolish dower in our state. “Dower” is about as obscure as it sounds, and it has little relevance in today’s society. It’s a legal concept borrowed from Britis… Read More

Individuals with disabilities who receive financial assistance from needs-based governmental programs such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) must meet strict income and asset limit eligibility requirements in order to qualify for ben… Read More

Michigan is newly positioned to become a major player in the asset protection arena. With the adoption of the Qualified Dispositions in Trusts Act (the “Act”) last month, Michigan joined 16 other states that permit the creation of domestic asset… Read More

Before the craziness of the holidays, take some time to consider this short checklist to ensure your estate plan is in order as 2016 draws to a close: 1. Is your estate plan signed? If you’ve taken the leap and met with an attorney to draft your es… Read More

A generation ago, planning for the retention and management of the family cottage (or cabin or camp) through multiple generations took the form of a trust that would continue to own the property and that laid out rules for its ongoing use and mainten… Read More

Effective June 27, 2016, individuals in Michigan may designate “funeral representatives” to make funeral, burial, and related decisions for them after death, or to carry out decisions made by them prior to death. This is welcome news for those wh… Read More

A timely reminder from Wright Beamer… As surely as the warm weather brings vacations, barbecues and fireworks, it also brings inquiries from parents preparing to send their children off to college in the fall. Most commonly, our clients call about… Read More