Cunningham Dalman | Legal News | Attorney Blog Posts

The law can seem like a daunting and complex tangle. The attorneys of Cunningham Dalman are here to help. If you require legal representation or would like to seek advice from a law expert, we hope you’ll talk with someone at our firm. We also encourage you to learn more about legal issues that matter to you. On this page you will find valuable information about many different aspects of the law. We encourage you to spend some time browsing this collection of posts written by Cunningham Dalman attorneys.

What You Can Do To Determine If The Time Is Right To Begin Your Estate Plan

meganh, March 14th, 2017

Earlier last year, I wrote articles about when it might be appropriate to update an existing estate plan and the consequences of dying without any estate plan at all. However, there is an important related question that I have not touched on yet, and that is: what should be done to determine if it is… continue reading

A Living Trust Does Not Protect Your Assets

Jessica Arends March 7th, 2017

Q: Does a living trust protect my assets? A: This trust is a great way to pass an inheritance but it will likely not help you through other situations. Here are my top tips on what a living trust does not do and mistakes to avoid. Your living trust does not: 1. Provide asset protection… continue reading

Is It Time to Start Planning to Transition Your Business?

P. Haans Mulder February 28th, 2017

If you’re a business owner, you should be proud of it. You’re serving the needs of your customers. You’re providing jobs to your employees and may even consider them “part of your family.” You may also be “giving back” to your community in a number of ways. Your company contributes in so many ways to… continue reading

Best of the Best Campaign

meganh, February 23rd, 2017

Can you believe it? It’s already time for the Holland community to select the best businesses in the Holland area. This year the Holland Sentinel changed things up a bit and initiated a two-step process. Our office made it through the nomination step and now we need your support in the second step to earn… continue reading

Attention Married Women: Your Property Rights Are Changing.

Randall S. Schipper February 21st, 2017

Michigan is abolishing dower rights for married women. Dower rights provided a safety net. Married women, and their husbands, may now need to take action. With dower, if a husband died owning real property titled in just his name, his widow got the right to income from that property for the balance of her life.… continue reading

Protect Your Business When Electing to Save Employment Taxes

P. Haans Mulder February 14th, 2017

LLCs are the most popular legal structure for businesses. They’re flexible, provide significant legal protection to the LLC members, and have less maintenance requirements than corporations. A separate, but related issue is how an LLC should be taxed. A growing number of LLCs are electing to be taxed as an S corporation. The main benefit… continue reading

If You Have A Business Partner, You Should Look Into This…

P. Haans Mulder February 7th, 2017

The local economy remains very strong and businesses continue to grow. I find these are good times for business owners to determine whether they’re protected against risks that could cause major distress to their company. One of them is not having an ownership agreement (also known as a shareholder, buy-sell, or operating agreement) that adequately… continue reading

Business Owners – Are You Prepared for the Potential Changes to the Department of Labor’s Overtime Rule?

meganh, January 31st, 2017

QUESTION: WHAT DO BUSINESS OWNERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR’S OVERTIME RULE? ANSWER: Overall, the changes to the existing overtime rule would significantly increase the minimum salary requirement for exempt employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). Prior to the Department of Labor’s (“DOL”) adoption of the changes, FLSA required covered… continue reading

Remember Income Taxes When Doing Your Estate Plan

P. Haans Mulder January 24th, 2017

Estate planning is important for a number of different reasons. Making your intentions clear, avoiding a costly administration process, and keeping the process as simple and least burdensome to your loved ones are the most common I hear from my clients. What clients and advisers sometimes forget in this process are the impact of taxes… continue reading

Landlords, If a Tenant Falls, You May Get Hurt

Randall S. Schipper January 17th, 2017

Sometimes landlords feel that the law treats them as parents and tenants as their children. Two cases earlier this year reinforce that. The usual rule in “slip and fall” cases is that, if the defect is open and obvious, the fault lies with the person who slipped. Thus, if a person sees a parking lot… continue reading

News & Resources