Best Estate Planning Attorneys in Lansing, MI

First, if your loved one has already executed a durable power of attorney, this document will give authority to an agent specified by them to manage their finances to the extent that assets are not in a trust. If assets are held in a trust and they are still the trustee, it may be necessary to take steps for the successor trustee (designated in the trust) to begin acting.

That depends. Having a will allows you to determine who will settle your estate, who will raise your minor children and manage their finances for them, and how you want your assets to be distributed. Having a trust allows you to establish a more sophisticated plan for asset management for your beneficiaries, including delaying distributions to young adults and can simplify the administration process in some ways. However, if you do not wish to have a will or trust prepared, the state of Michigan has a statutory framework in place which will dictate who gets what. As to who will have to settle the estate, raise your children and manage their money until they are 18, that will be left to the courts to decide when your various family members all claim that they are the best one for the job.

Yes, assuming you are an heir of the estate or beneficiary of the Trust. If you believe that the Will or Trust was made or changed while they were not capable of making such legal decisions, or if you think their decisions were the product of undue influence, you may challenge the documents. If you think the personal representative, executor or trustee is not administering the estate or trust according to its terms, you may challenge the actions of the fiduciary and make certain requests for accountings or their removal.