One of the most common things we hear from clients in the Lansing area (Ingham County, Eaton County, and Clinton County) is: “I don’t think I need a trust—everything already has a beneficiary.” On the surface, that sounds efficient. After all: And under Michigan law, these types of transfers generally pass outside probate, meaning they…

If you are approaching retirement or have recently stepped away from your career, now is the time to take a serious look at your estate plan. At Estate Planning Partners of Michigan, we help families build estate plans that protect what they have worked a lifetime to build. Whether you are thinking about a will,…

Disclaimer: This article is for general educational purposes and isn’t legal advice. Estate planning is very fact-specific—talk with an estate planning attorney about your goals, your assets, and your family situation before you sign anything. If you’ve started estate planning, you’ve probably heard two common strategies for avoiding probate: a living trust and a Lady Bird deed (also called…

Cryptocurrency has changed the way people think about wealth. It offers privacy, independence from traditional financial institutions, and the ability to transfer value anywhere in the world. But with those advantages comes a major estate planning problem that many crypto owners overlook: what happens to your crypto when you pass away? Unlike traditional assets—such as bank…