The Michigan Secretary of State (“SOS”) has thrown us a curve. For as long as I can remember, it was possible to title a motor vehicle in the name of a trust. This was routinely done when a vehicle owner’s estate was being probated after death.…
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Estate planning is not usually a one-and-done deal. The estate plan you sign today may fit beautifully now, but over time changes in the law or in your circumstances could render your plan obsolete. Here are some recent examples to illustrate my poin…
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There’s an old proverb, “Let the buyer beware.” A recent opinion issued by the Michigan Court of Appeals (Galvan v Poon, Mich App No. 76047, August 19, 2021), however, has turned this time-honored legal principle a bit on its head. In Michigan,…
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Some time ago, a client of mine signed an agreement to sell real estate that he co-owned with his wife. Unfortunately, he failed to consult with her beforehand. When she refused to go along with the sale, my client tried to get out of the deal by arg…
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It has long been possible in Michigan to transfer a decedent’s vehicles to their closest kin without probate – as long as all the decedent’s vehicles aren’t worth more than $60,000, and the estate is not being probated. The forms to transfer…
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One of the beauties of setting up a corporation is the protection you get from personal liability for company debts. One of the headaches that flows from setting up that same corporation is the extra paperwork required to properly maintain it – and…
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Earlier this month, the Michigan Court of Appeals clarified the standard of proof that must be met in determining whether a conservator has breached the fiduciary duty he or she owes to the individual whose assets are being managed under the conserva…
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A friend of mine gave me permission to share her story in the hope that it would be helpful to others. Her brother, a single man, was recently found dead in his Florida apartment. Sadly, no one in his family knows where he banked. They do not know hi…
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The winter holiday season is important to so many of us for its wealth of traditions and meanings, and for its warm memories. When I was little, Christmas day was wondrous. There were lots of wrapped presents deposited under our tree before Christmas…
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Many nonprofits depend on year-end giving to survive, and this year those donations will be more important than ever as many fund-raising events have been either cancelled or are taking place virtually, often with reduced success. If you are in a pos…
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