Michigan Estate Planning Attorney
Protect Your Family, Money, and Property with an Estate Plan
Estate Planning | Probate | Will And Trust
The Michigan Estate Planning Attorneys
Create A Lasting Legacy With Our
Personalized Estate Planning Process
Reserve Your Free Consultation
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Phone and Web Meetings Available So You Don't Need To Travel
Our experienced Michigan Estate Planning Attorneys are ready to help you develop a unique Estate Plan, custom tailored to your specific needs. Whether you need a Will, Living Trust, comprehensive Estate Plan, or help preparing for nursing home care, our experienced Michigan Estate Planning Attorney can help you create a plan to pass your legacy on to your family while protecting them from Probate Court. We never know what could happen to us tomorrow – prepare your Estate Plan today.
“Chris has been great to work with! We are doing estate planning with him and he's been very accommodating to us. He has a great way of explaining the process and all that is entailed. I highly recommend Chris and the Rochester Law Center!”
- Jaimie D.
The Benefits of Creating an Estate Plan
With A Michigan Estate Planning Attorney
Transfer your money, property, and assets to your loved ones in the most efficient way possible so you know your family is taken care of after you pass away
Protect your family from the long, stressful, and expensive probate court process during a time of mourning
Keep your financial affairs and the transfer of your assets to your family private
Maintain control of your finances after you pass away
Appoint someone you trust to make sure your assets are distributed to your family according to your wishes
Make sure your loved ones are protected in case you become incapacitated and can’t manage your assets on your own
Our Michigan Estate Planning Attorneys Can Help You With:
- Comprehensive Estate Plans
- Specialty Estate Planning
- Small Business Owners
- International
- Post Divorce
- Will Preparation
- Last Will and Testament
- Living Wills
- Trust Preparation
- Living Trusts
- Revocable Trusts
- Irrevocable Trusts
- Special Needs Planning
- Medicaid Planning
- Elder Care Planning
- Probate and Trust Administration
- Trustee Services
- Asset Protection Planning
- Guardianship/Conservatorship
- Financial Power of Attorney
- Medical Power of Attorney
- Deed Drafting
- Michigan Lady Bird Deeds
Phone and Web Meetings Available So You Don't Have To Travel!
At Rochester Law Center, we offer Phone and Web consultations, in addition to traditional in-office consultations.
When you call our offices to book your appointment, just let our staff know that you prefer to “meet” with one of our Michigan Estate Planning Attorneys in the comfort of your own home via Phone or Web conference and we will get you scheduled based on your preference.
Give us a call now at (248) 613-0007 to schedule your consultation.
We appreciate the opportunity to serve you and your family!
Enjoy Peace of Mind
- Free Consultations
- No Need To Travel
- Do Everything Remotely
- No Hidden Fees
- Streamlined Processes
- Fast, Easy, Stress Free
Our 4 Step Process Makes Estate Planning Simple
Request A Free Consultation
Discuss Your Situation With An Attorney On The Phone
We'll Create A Plan Based On Your Unique Goals
Work With Us To Complete Your Estate Plan
Phone and Web Meetings Available So You Don't Need To Travel
Reserve Your Free Consultation Today
What Happens To My Family If I Pass Without An Estate Plan?
Family forced into Probate Court, even if you had a Will.
Family must publicly declare your assets and their values to the county.
Heirs are accidentally disqualified from needed benefits.
Assets involuntarily end up in the hands of creditors, bankruptcy courts, or ex-spouses.
Easily avoidable taxes, Probate fees, court costs, and legal fees drain your Estate leaving little for your family.
Loved ones are accidentally disinherited.
Drawn out court battles between family.
Large sums are given to the children with substance problems or who are too young or immature to handle them.
Is Estate Planning With A Michigan Estate Planning Attorney Right For Me?
When we refer to “Estate Planning”, we’re talking about the process of transferring your money, property, and assets to your loved ones after you’re gone – in the most efficient way possible. It also includes planning for what might happen to you while you’re still alive, for example, if you become extremely ill and need someone to care for you. It’s important to remember that Estate Planning is about much more than just signing documents. It’s about designing and implementing a personalized plan, in the simplest way possible, to protect your family and loved ones from devastating court battles and financial hardships that can occur after you pass.
Everyone has an “Estate”. An Estate is simply all of your money, property, assets, and debt that you own at the time of your death. This can be your house, cars, bank accounts, investment portfolios, family heirlooms etc. Estate Planning isn’t just for the ultra-wealthy, it’s for everyone.
How Can Rochester Law Center's Michigan Estate Planning Attorneys Help Me?
Avoid Probate
and Death Tax
A Michigan Estate Planning Attorney can help you keep more money in the family by avoiding potentially lengthy and expensive court proceedings and unnecessary taxes.
Keep your personal and financial matters private
Proper Estate Planning can avoid the Probate Court process, so there is no need to make your assets or your personal wishes public. Most transfers take place in private within weeks instead of over the course of years in probate.
Maintain control of your finances after you pass
Continue to protect your family, even after you're gone: delay distributions until children reach a certain age or graduate; make sure money doesn't fall into the hands of creditors and ex-spouses; & make sure that special needs children still qualify for benefits.
Probate is the legal process through which the court ensures that, when you die, your debts are paid and your assets are distributed according to Michigan law. It can be very expensive. Legal fees, executor fees, inventory fees (county taxes), and other costs have to be paid before your assets can be fully distributed to your heirs. If you own property in other states, your family could face multiple probates, each one according to the laws in that state. These costs can vary widely, but we’ve had clients who had to pay tens of thousands of dollars throughout the Probate process. In general, Probate is much, much more expensive than doing some simple Estate Planning in advance. A Michigan Estate Planning Attorney can help you put a plan in place that will avoid Probate all together.
2. Probate can take a long time...
It takes a long time… In Michigan, the standard probate process takes a minimum of 5 months to complete. However, over the past decade we’ve experienced that it generally takes 9 months to a year to resolve simple cases (and several years for contested cases). We once represented a client whose Probate lasted for 8 years!
3. Probate is public...
Your family has little privacy in probate court. Probate is a public process, so anyone can see the size of your Estate (often what you actually owned), who you owed debts to, who will receive your assets, and when they will receive them. The process invites upset heirs to contest your Will and can expose your family to lawsuits from greedy creditors and potential fraudsters.
Schedule a free consultation with an experienced Michigan Estate Planning Attorney today! Call us now at (248) 613-0007
Phone and Web Meetings Available So You Don't Need To Travel
Reserve Your Free Consultation Today
The Future Can Be Difficult For Your Family Without A Plan...
Most people fail to plan, unaware of the devastating effects it will have on their loved ones...
We once had a client whose daughter had died without a Will or Trust. The daughter had 2 young children from a first marriage. When she remarried, she added her new husband to her house and bank account. Sadly, she was in a car accident which unexpectedly took her life.
When you do plan, you have to make sure it's done right with the help of a Michigan Estate Planning Attorney...
We had another client whose brother had downloaded a pre-fab “form” Will off of the internet. Unfortunately, the “Will” had not been reviewed by an attorney and wasn’t considered legally valid. The client had to spend 3 and a half years (and tens of thousands of dollars) fighting off legal challenges and trying to prove his brother’s intentions to the court.
Even worse, the brother had never updated his life insurance. His ex-wife (whom he had not spoken to in years) received a multi-million dollar pay day. What was left of the estate was gobbled up by filing costs, legal bills, and “inventory fees” (a fancy word for taxes). Almost nothing was left for the man’s beneficiaries – a sadly common scenario.
Just getting assets to your children isn't enough...
We also handled a case where a father was in an accident with his two sons. The father was killed instantly. The youngest son suffered severe handicaps. Half of the father’s property went to the youngest son disqualifying him from desperately needed medical benefits. The remainder of the property went to the older son who was not ready for the responsibility and dropped out of school.
Estate Planning Document Comparison
Decide who will receive your assets after you pass and appoint someone to carry out your wishes.
Transfer your assets to beneficiaries after your death.
Reduce death taxes, avoid probate fees, and preserve privacy for your family.
Name guardians for minor children.
Avoid probate court.
Make end of life decisions so your family does not have to - i.e. use of life support, hospice care, etc.
Name someone to handle your financial and legal affairs if you are incapacitated.
Name someone to make medical decisions for you if you are unable.
Decide who will receive your assets after you pass and appoint someone to carry out your wishes.
Transfer your assets to beneficiaries after your death.
Reduce death taxes, avoid probate fees, and preserve privacy for your family.
Name guardians for minor children.
Avoid probate court.
Make end of life decisions so your family does not have to - i.e. use of life support, hospice care, etc.
Name someone to handle your financial and legal affairs if you are incapacitated.
Name someone to make medical decisions for you if you are unable.
Decide who will receive your assets after you pass and appoint someone to carry out your wishes.
Transfer your assets to beneficiaries after your death.
Reduce death taxes, avoid probate fees, and preserve privacy for your family.
Name guardians for minor children.
Avoid probate court.
Make end of life decisions so your family does not have to - i.e. use of life support, hospice care, etc.
Name someone to handle your financial and legal affairs if you are incapacitated.
Name someone to make medical decisions for you if you are unable.
Decide who will receive your assets after you pass and appoint someone to carry out your wishes.
Transfer your assets to beneficiaries after your death.
Reduce death taxes, avoid probate fees, and preserve privacy for your family.
Name guardians for minor children.
Avoid probate court.
Make end of life decisions so your family does not have to - i.e. use of life support, hospice care, etc.
Name someone to handle your financial and legal affairs if you are incapacitated.
Name someone to make medical decisions for you if you are unable.
Decide who will receive your assets after you pass and appoint someone to carry out your wishes.
Transfer your assets to beneficiaries after your death.
Reduce death taxes, avoid probate fees, and preserve privacy for your family.
Name guardians for minor children.
Avoid probate court.
Make end of life decisions so your family does not have to - i.e. use of life support, hospice care, etc.
Name someone to handle your financial and legal affairs if you are incapacitated.
Name someone to make medical decisions for you if you are unable.
Decide who will receive your assets after you pass and appoint someone to carry out your wishes.
Transfer your assets to beneficiaries after your death.
Reduce death taxes, avoid probate fees, and preserve privacy for your family.
Name guardians for minor children.
Avoid probate court.
Make end of life decisions so your family does not have to - i.e. use of life support, hospice care, etc.
Name someone to handle your financial and legal affairs if you are incapacitated.
Name someone to make medical decisions for you if you are unable.
Schedule a free consultation with an experienced Estate Planning Attorney today! Call us now at (248) 613-0007
Phone and Web Meetings Available So You Don't Need To Travel
Reserve Your Free Consultation Today
See What Others Are Saying About Working With Us!
Why Clients Choose Our
Michigan Estate Planning Attorneys
We Make Estate Planning Easy and Stress Free
Free Consultations
No Hidden Fees
Streamlined Processes
We've Helped 1,000s of Clients Estate Plan
It’s our goal to give you outstanding customer service. We want you to feel knowledgeable and comfortable about all of your planning options and what we can do to help. We want to empower you to make great decisions so that you have the peace of mind knowing that your family will be taken care of, even if you’re no longer there to take care of them yourself. That’s why we provide free consultations & practical guidance.
Customized Estate Plans & Flexible Options Based On Needs
At Rochester Law Center, we promise to always deliver you the following:
- Customized Wills, Trusts, and Estate Plans to fit your needs
- Unlimited access to your attorney throughout the entire planning process
- No surprise costs – we quote flat fees
- Installment plans to help you get started now and pay over time
- No obligation consultations and no high pressure sales tactics
- Personalized and friendly service
We understand that your family and your business planning needs are unique. That’s why we take a personalized approach to ensure that all of your needs are taken care of properly – the first time.
Peace of Mind Is Only One Call Away
“Chris and his partners were excellent to work with. Despite being busy, he was always available when we had questions. He is very professional, personable, and made sure we fully understood all of our options. I would highly recommend the Rochester Law Center.”
- Coni P.
We Never Know What May Happen Tomorrow... Prepare Your Estate Plan Today!
We never know what could happen to us tomorrow. Which is why it’s so important to prepare an Estate Plan today. Our experienced Michigan Estate Planning Attorneys are ready to help you develop a unique Estate Plan, custom tailored to your specific needs. Whether you need a Will, Living Trust, comprehensive Estate Plan, or help navigating the complexities of Probate, our Estate Planning Lawyers can help you design a comprehensive plan to protect your family, money, and property from the expensive costs and legal battles that can happen in Probate Court.
Request A Free Consultation
Discuss Your Situation With An Attorney On The Phone
We'll Create A Plan Based On Your Unique Goals
Work With Us To Complete Your Estate Plan
Schedule a free consultation with an experienced Estate Planning Attorney today! Call us now at (248) 613-0007
Phone and Web Meetings Available So You Don't Need To Travel
Reserve Your Free Consultation Today
Rochester Law Center Office Location
Our Law Firm Is Located In Downtown Rochester, MI
Serving Rochester Hills, Troy, Metro-Detroit and All Of SE Michigan
LOCATED
Phone: (248) 923-4550
Fax: (248) 462-7865
CONTACT US
Phone: (248) 613-0007
Fax: (248) 462-7865
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Free Estate Planning Consultation
To Get All of Your Questions Answered By A Michigan Attorney With a Decade's Worth Of Experience Drafting Wills & Trusts
Everyone's Needs Are Unique - Everyone's Family Is Unique...
Find Out Exactly What You Need To Protect Your Family, Money, and Property
From $10,000s In Legal Fees, Unwanted Government Taxes, And Long Fights In Probate Court...
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