Calhoun County, MI Estate Lawyers

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James A. Fisher Lawyer

James A. Fisher

VERIFIED
Divorce & Family Law, Estate, Wills & Probate, Custody & Visitation, Divorce

James A. Fisher is a shareholder and President of the Vandervoort, Christ & Fisher, P.C. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Mich... (more)

Nelson T. Karre

Estate, Real Estate, Business Organization
Status:  In Good Standing           

Martha J. Widdows-Witham

Tax, Real Estate, Estate Planning, Business Organization
Status:  In Good Standing           

Robert J. Sharkey

Estate Planning, Employment, Family Law, Business Organization
Status:  In Good Standing           

Chris T. Christ

Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Family Law, Business Organization
Status:  In Good Standing           

David P. Lucas

Wills & Probate, Estate Planning, Pension & Benefits, Business Organization
Status:  In Good Standing           

Samuel D. Carpenter

Real Estate, Litigation, Wills & Probate, Estate Planning
Status:  In Good Standing           

Kent A. Bieberich

Real Estate, Traffic, Estate, Accident & Injury
Status:  In Good Standing           Licensed:  33 Years

Vern J. Steffel

Construction, Estate Administration, Corporate, Banking & Finance
Status:  In Good Standing           Licensed:  49 Years

Kay E. Kossen

Medicare & Medicaid, Estate Planning, Elder Law, Business
Status:  In Good Standing           Licensed:  27 Years

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Free Help: Use This Form or Call 800-943-8690

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800-943-8690

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Lawyer.com can help you easily and quickly find Michigan Estate Lawyers and Michigan Estate Law Firms. Find Estate attorneys by major city or select a city from the list of all Michigan cities. Alternatively you can search for Estate attorneys for all Michigan cities or search by county. You may also also find it useful to refine your search by specific Estate practice areas such as Estate Planning, Trusts, Wills & Probate and Power of Attorney matters.

LEGAL TERMS

FAMILY ALLOWANCE

A certain amount of a deceased person's money to which immediate family members are entitled at the beginning of the probate process. The allowance is meant to ... (more...)
A certain amount of a deceased person's money to which immediate family members are entitled at the beginning of the probate process. The allowance is meant to help support the surviving spouse and children during the time it takes to probate the estate. The amount is determined by state law and varies greatly from state to state.

EXEMPTION TRUST

A bypass trust funded with an amount no larger than the personal federal estate tax exemption in the year of death. If the trust grantor leaves property worth m... (more...)
A bypass trust funded with an amount no larger than the personal federal estate tax exemption in the year of death. If the trust grantor leaves property worth more than that amount, it usually goes to the surviving spouse. The trust property passes free from estate tax because of the personal exemption, and the rest is shielded from tax under the surviving spouse's marital deduction.

DISINHERIT

To deliberately prevent someone from inheriting something. This is usually done by a provision in a will stating that someone who would ordinarily inherit prope... (more...)
To deliberately prevent someone from inheriting something. This is usually done by a provision in a will stating that someone who would ordinarily inherit property -- a close family member, for example -- should not receive it. In most states, you cannot completely disinherit your spouse; a surviving spouse has the right to claim a portion (usually one-third to one-half) of the deceased spouse's estate. With a few exceptions, however, you can expressly disinherit children.

LIVING TRUST

A trust you can set up during your life. Living trusts are an excellent way to avoid the cost and hassle of probate because the property you transfer into the t... (more...)
A trust you can set up during your life. Living trusts are an excellent way to avoid the cost and hassle of probate because the property you transfer into the trust during your life passes directly to the trust beneficiaries after you die, without court involvement. The successor trustee--the person you appoint to handle the trust after your death--simply transfers ownership to the beneficiaries you named in the trust. Living trusts are also called 'inter vivos trusts.'

ABSTRACT OF TRUST

A condensed version of a living trust document, which leaves out details of what is in the trust and the identity of the beneficiaries. You can show an abstract... (more...)
A condensed version of a living trust document, which leaves out details of what is in the trust and the identity of the beneficiaries. You can show an abstract of trust to a financial organization or other institution to prove that you have established a valid living trust, without revealing specifics that you want to keep private. In some states, this document is called a 'certification of trust.'

INTESTATE

The condition of dying without a valid will. The probate court appoints an administrator to distribute the deceased person's property according to state law.

ESTATE TAXES

Taxes imposed by the state or federal government on property as it passes from the dead to the living. All property you own, whatever the form of ownership, and... (more...)
Taxes imposed by the state or federal government on property as it passes from the dead to the living. All property you own, whatever the form of ownership, and whether or not it goes through probate after your death, is subject to federal estate tax. Currently, however, federal estate tax is due only if your property is worth at least $2 million when you die. The estate tax is scheduled to be repealed for one year, in 2010, but Congress will probably make the repeal (or a very high exempt amount) permanent. Any property left to a surviving spouse (if he or she is a U.S. citizen) or a tax-exempt charity is exempt from federal estate taxes. Many states now also impose their own estate taxes or inheritance taxes.

TRUSTEE

The person who manages assets owned by a trust under the terms of the trust document. A trustee's purpose is to safeguard the trust and distribute trust income ... (more...)
The person who manages assets owned by a trust under the terms of the trust document. A trustee's purpose is to safeguard the trust and distribute trust income or principal as directed in the trust document. With a simple probate-avoidance living trust, the person who creates the trust is also the trustee.

ESTATE PLANNING

The art of continuing to prosper when you're alive, and passing your property to your loved ones with a minimum of fuss and expense after you die. Planning your... (more...)
The art of continuing to prosper when you're alive, and passing your property to your loved ones with a minimum of fuss and expense after you die. Planning your estate may involve making a will, living trust, healthcare directives, durable power of attorney for finances or other documents.

SAMPLE LEGAL CASES

In re Kostin Estate

In Docket No. 272767, respondent Camille A. Kent appeals as of right the probate court's judgment and order following a bench trial, interpreting a will and trust, determining heirs and devisees, and determining title to property after decedent Juanita Kostin's death in 2004. ...

In re Nestorovski Estate

723 Payne, Broder & Fossee (by Andrew J. Broder) and Underwood & March (by Lauren M. Underwood), Bingham Farms, for the petitioner. ... Kemp Klein Law Firm, PC (by Alan A. May and Debra Nance), Troy, for the respondent. ... Before: SAAD, CJ, and BORRELLO and ...

In re Rudell Estate

During her lifetime, the decedent owned a certain parcel of residential real property located at 1170 Chesterfield in Birmingham, Michigan (the property). In 1982, the decedent properly transferred ownership of the property to the trust. According to the complaint filed in this matter, the ...