Redmond Office Law Blog

As we send kids back to school, we recognize that many parents are in the middle of what is commonly called “the sandwich generation”. Families are still caring for young children while caring for older parents who are living longer. Additionally, two-thirds of those caring for an older family member consist of two working parents […]

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Many people have estate planning on their to-do list, but many times due to job issues, financial circumstances or just timing they are not able to get their estate plan updated or even get their estate plan completed. However, there are some simple things that can be done to make sure that your assets pass […]

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We may not all have Tiger Woods’ money when it comes to assembling a divorce or setting up a Prenuptial Agreement. However, a Prenuptial Agreement can be beneficial for individuals of varying net worth. A Prenuptial Agreement is designed to set some ground rules prior to the marriage, especially if the assets of the husband […]

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When it comes to estate planning laws many of the laws coordinate, but many of them are in direct contradiction of one another. For example, many people are aware of the fact that a family member can gift up to $13,000 per year to as many individuals as they choose and the receiver of the […]

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When it comes to estate planning, even the small stuff is important. Many family members are concerned that their personal property or even their collectibles will not get to the right person or that family members will not understand the value of a collectible. It is important that you take the time to make a […]

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Many people don’t think that college age students need to consider estate planning. However, if you are getting ready to send your kids off to college there are two important documents that they should consider, a medical Power of Attorney and a financial Power of Attorney. If your child were to be injured or hospitalized […]

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When it comes to planning for the future many of us do not like to consider the worst case scenario. With the recent death of three children who died in a Michigan plane crash with their grandfather, it reminds us that we have to plan for the unknown. When setting up an estate plan or […]

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Do-it-yourself Estate Planning may sound like a good idea based on the fact that the cost is greatly reduced and you do not have to spend time in a lawyer’s office, but individuals should beware of some of the pitfalls of preparing your own estate plan. A do-it-yourself estate plan can create more problems than […]

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When we hear about the death of billionaires, we think death and taxes, they must go together. However, in 2010, the IRS allowed the tax law to lapse for one year and have given all estates a free pass. In other words, Texas billionaire, Dan Dunkin’s $9 billion dollar estate will pass to his children […]

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When serving as the administrator of an estate, whether under a Will or Trust, many administrators do not anticipate having to evict a family member from the home. With an increasing amount of children coming back home due to job loss or financial issues, it is very possible that one of the beneficiaries of the […]

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Many people are concerned about identity theft while they are living, but what about identity theft after you are deceased. Although, it may appear to be a fairly rare problem for many deceased family members, it is still a precaution that should be considered. As we all know, thieves will exploit just about anyone, living […]

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Apparently, the names of Soap Operas sometimes fit the subject matter of their show. Recently, the Young and the Restless featured an estate planning topic involving a young bratty child who is suing his parents over a Trust fund. For those of you that are fans of the Young and the Restless and/or Victor Newman, […]

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When it comes to estate planning, it is important to have a contingency plan. For example, many people only think of planning for the next generation. However, we must also address the issue of a child predeceasing a parent or even a grandchild predeceasing a grandparent. In recent months we have heard a variety of […]

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Statistics say that Autism is on the rise. In fact, statistics show that 1 in 70 males and 1 in 100 females have Autism, which represents a rise of almost ten percent As families find themselves facing this medical issue, it is important that they take the time to address their estate planning issues as […]

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When it comes to actress Lindsay Lohan, rules never seem to apply. In most situations where we think of a conservatorship proceeding, we think of a senior individual that is mentally or physically not able to handle their own affairs. Usually, a family member petitions for conservatorship to protect the individual from mismanaging their funds […]

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When we think of charitable giving we think of making a small or large gift directly to a charity when a request is sent to us in the mail. Fortunately, there are a lot of other creative ways to make charitable gifts. Most important for donors to understand when making a gift is that they […]

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When we talk about special issues and special needs many times people think of a child or family member who may have a mental or physical disability and needs to be protected. In the past, I have addressed issues regarding what I refer to as a special needs trust to ensure that a child receiving […]

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Gift of Life Michigan, the state’s only federally designated organ recovery organization, has launched a massive statewide campaign to  save lives by working to help add one million names to the Michigan Organ Donor Registry.
 
Michigan ranks 42nd nationwide in the percentage of registered drivers who have officially expressed their wish to someday become organ, eye […]

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With the health care reform bill and the daily news reports, many people are automatically inclined to think that the health care bill will give them additional benefits if entering a nursing home. The reality is that the health care reform bill does not modify or change the medicaid laws as they relate to nursing […]

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Once again, Hollywood provides us with additional estate planning issues to discuss. Recently, the Federal Court of Appeals ended a 15 year long battle between Anna Nicole Smith and her former 80 year old husband. The Federal Court of Appeals determined that the original Texas Court that had ruled against Anna Nicole Smith was in […]

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Many of us rely on our family members for a variety of different things, babysitting our children, walking a dog or hosting the holiday dinner. For many family members, that is a reasonable job to give them, but the question is are those same family members capable of serving as your successor Trustee or money […]

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Danielle will be speaking at the following events, most of which are open to the public. Please call for details or registration.
April 27, 2010. The New Michigan Trust Code. 12 noon - 1:30 pm. Edward Jones Investments, Advisor James Reslock, 9570 W M Ave., Kalamazoo, Michigan. The seminar will be held at KCMS (Kalamazoo Center […]

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With today’s economy, many parents find themselves helping out their children in a variety of ways. Some parents are paying a child’s mortgage to keep it from going into foreclosure, some parents are helping children pay the legal fees for filing bankruptcy and some are even helping a child get started after a divorce. In […]

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The simplest and most universal way to revoke a Will is to simply sign a new one. Unfortunately, people prepare Wills when their children are young and do not review that Will until something catastrophic occurs. In many situations, the individual is not in a position to make the changes. When determining whether or not […]

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Although many of us cannot relate to being the heir to the Hooters franchise with an estimated value of $130 million.  Many of these families face similar issues as those of more simple means. With the recent death of Robert Brooks, owner of the Hooters franchise, the family is facing a variety of issues that should […]

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