News & Resources

As companies grow and hire employees, many business owners are so busy they don’t realize there are things they can do to avoid expensive lawsuits in the future. One of them is a well written employee handbook. An employee handbook is a description of the company’s mission, values, and policies that impact employees. There a… continue reading

The majority of my clients tell me that they want an estate plan to make things easier for their children when they pass. Many also place high importance on eliminating disputes between children. A good estate plan will meet those goals, but I always tell my clients to consider rounding out their plan by setting… continue reading

A number of business owners and individuals make annual gifts to their children and grandchildren. This is done for a number of reasons, but avoiding estate taxes and transitioning the family business are two very common motivations. Should you be thinking about annual gifts this early in the year? Even though there are four months… continue reading

As a business attorney, I have helped many clients with setting up new companies, usually corporations or limited liability companies (“LLCs”). It can be a fast and furious process. After the “entity formation phase” is complete, however, some business owners overlook the importance of “routine maintenance” for the company. Obviously there are things that you… continue reading

My colleague, Haans Mulder, and I had the recent pleasure of speaking to a group of people about the nuances of planning to keep a home while a loved one receives Medicaid benefits. While the focus is often on preservation of the home sometimes it doesn’t make sense to continue paying for taxes, insurance, maintenance,… continue reading

I had lunch with a group of officers from a local trust department, two of whom were investment managers. The subject came up of what to do with a client who has a high concentration of a single stock in their portfolio. The discussion was enlightening. Throughout my career I’ve noticed a common theme, which… continue reading

Avoiding estate recovery while attaining Medicaid eligibility was reviewed in Medicaid Series Part 5. But protecting the home so the Medicaid recipient will have some inheritance to pass along comes with a few burdens. Although each situation is different, here are some questions to consider when preserving a home until a Medicaid recipient passes away.… continue reading

Ever notice how many more car accidents are happening during the summer road construction season? We are creatures of habit: buy the same toothpaste, order the same lunch, drive the same route to and from work or the grocery store. When our normal routes are disrupted due to construction, odd (and sometimes bad) things happen.… continue reading

Press Release CDPC 25 years

Although people refer to their pets as “members of the family”, “like our children”, etc., they are often overlooked when putting together a will, trust, or general durable power of attorney. Now, rest assured – if you already have an estate plan then you don’t necessarily have to change it. Michigan law considers pets to… continue reading