Estate Planning: Wills / Trusts / Patient Advocate Designation

Berkley Mengel PLC

Zealous Advocacy for our Clients' Best Interests

Simple Wills Trusts How to Prepare a Living Will

Michigan Estate Planning Attorneys Serving Clients in Oakland County, Jackson County, Wayne County, and the Rest of the State

Often, when families need comprehensive estate planning documentation or review, it is too late. After a loved one has died, his or her estate may move into probate. Depending on the size of the estate and whether or not there was a will, this process can become time-consuming and expensive. It may also involve litigation, including will contests and trust administration disputes. Without a will, the distribution of the estate is done by state formula and not according to the decedent's wishes.

To prevent ambiguity, confusions, and undue probate costs in Michigan, contact Berkley Mengel PLC to begin dialogue with an experienced Detroit estate planning attorney about your hopes and plans for a lasting legacy through a well-thought-out structure for distribution of assets. Our attorneys will help you draft a comprehensive estate plan to help ensure that your wishes are followed, tax implications are minimized, and assets are preserved.

Make Your Own Health Care Decisions in Advance

The distribution of your estate is not the only facet of careful estate planning. Through patient advocate designation, our clients can also legally determine how they wish to be cared for when, and if they become incapacitated. When the time comes that you are unable to make decisions such as whether to accept a feeding tube, or whether to be kept alive through machinery that can prolong your life artificially, your living will can save you and your family unnecessary anguish. Rather than make your next of kin make heart-wrenching decisions on your behalf, make those decisions for yourself ahead of time.

There is peace of mind in knowing that you have provided for your own care and treatment as well as for distribution of your worldly assets after your death. Our experienced Michigan estate planning lawyers guide our clients through the process of writing wills, establishing trusts, and maintaining control of potential future health care decisions by way of patient advocate designations expressed through living wills.

Contact Berkley Mengel PLC to schedule a consultation with a Michigan estate planning attorney.