Cherf and Greenup

Estate Planning Attorneys in St. Clair Shores, Michigan

Planning for the future means more than deciding who will receive your property. Families often need to prepare for changing circumstances, such as welcoming a new child, caring for an aging parent, providing for a loved one with disabilities, or protecting family relationships during difficult times. Cherf and Greenup, P.C. helps Michigan families address these issues through estate planning, trust planning, guardianships, and estate litigation, offering legal guidance both before and after problems arise.

Founded in 1973 by attorneys Ronald J. Cherf and Edward R. Greenup, the firm has spent decades helping clients develop practical estate plans while also representing individuals involved in contested estate matters. This combination of planning and litigation experience provides valuable perspective when creating legal documents designed to withstand future challenges.

Estate Planning Designed Around Your Family

No two families have the same goals or concerns. Cherf and Greenup works with clients to develop estate plans that reflect their individual circumstances, whether they are creating their first will, updating an existing plan, or preparing for retirement.

The firm prepares wills, living trusts, irrevocable trusts, special-needs trusts, and powers of attorney. These tools can help clients plan for the management of their affairs during incapacity and determine how property should be handled after death. By carefully coordinating these documents, the attorneys help clients plan for both the management of their affairs during incapacity and the orderly distribution of assets according to their wishes.

Estate planning is also an opportunity to address changing family dynamics. Parents may wish to nominate guardians for minor children, account for blended families, or ensure that inheritances are distributed according to each beneficiary's individual needs.

Planning for Loved Ones with Disabilities

Families caring for a child or other loved one with disabilities often face unique estate planning challenges. An inheritance that is structured improperly may affect eligibility for important government benefit programs.

Cherf and Greenup assists families with special needs planning, including the preparation of special needs trusts designed to help provide long-term financial support while preserving eligibility for programs such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income when appropriate. By incorporating these considerations into a broader estate plan, the firm helps families provide for loved ones without overlooking important legal and financial issues.

Guardianships and Conservatorships

When someone needs another person to have legal authority to act on their behalf, a guardianship or conservatorship may become necessary. Cherf and Greenup handles guardianship and conservatorship matters as part of its estate-planning practice and also specifically represents families in child guardianship and juvenile-court matters.

Estate Litigation and Will Contests

Disagreements over an estate can raise questions about whether a will or trust is valid, whether someone improperly influenced the person who created it, or whether a fiduciary carried out their responsibilities properly. Cherf and Greenup represents clients in will contests and other estate litigation, including both people challenging an estate and those responsible for defending one.

The firm's litigation work includes disputes involving mental incapacity, duress or undue influence, claims that a more recent estate-planning document exists, beneficiaries who believe they were improperly omitted, and allegations involving a breach of duty. This work gives the firm experience with estate planning from both sides—creating plans before problems arise and representing clients when a will, trust, or estate later becomes contested.

Serving St. Clair Shores, Michigan

Cherf and Greenup, P.C. serves individuals and families from its office in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. The firm assists clients with estate planning, trust planning, guardianships, estate litigation, and related legal matters designed to help families protect their loved ones and prepare for the future.

Practice Areas

• Estate Planning

• Wills

• Revocable Living Trusts

• Irrevocable Trusts

• Special Needs Trusts

• Durable Powers of Attorney

• Guardianships

• Conservatorships

• Estate Litigation

• Will Contests

• Trust Litigation