Crippen, Urquhart & Weber

Estate Planning & Probate Attorneys in Ann Arbor, Michigan

An estate plan should do more than provide a set of documents. It should reflect how your assets are actually owned, who is named on your accounts, how property should pass, and who will be responsible for carrying out your wishes.

Crippen, Urquhart & Weber assists individuals and families with estate planning, probate, trust administration, real estate, and related legal matters. The firm’s attorneys help clients coordinate wills, trusts, beneficiary designations, property ownership, and family circumstances so that the different parts of an estate plan work together.

Does Your Estate Plan Match the Way Your Assets Are Owned?

A will or trust may not control every asset. Life insurance, retirement accounts, jointly owned property, and accounts with beneficiary designations may pass outside a will.

Crippen, Urquhart & Weber helps clients review how assets are titled and who is named to receive them. Coordinating these details with the rest of an estate plan can help prevent unintended results and reduce confusion for family members later.

How Should an Inheritance Be Left to Minor Children?

Leaving property directly to a minor can create practical and legal complications. Parents may also be concerned about a child receiving a substantial inheritance immediately upon reaching adulthood.

An estate plan can provide instructions for how assets should be managed, when they should be distributed, and who should oversee them. Crippen, Urquhart & Weber helps parents create plans that address both guardianship concerns and the responsible management of an inheritance for children.

What Documents Can Help During Incapacity?

Estate planning is not limited to deciding what happens after death. Illness, injury, or cognitive decline may leave someone unable to manage finances or make healthcare decisions.

Planning documents such as durable financial powers of attorney and patient advocate designations allow clients to identify trusted people to act on their behalf. Putting these documents in place before a crisis can help families avoid uncertainty and unnecessary court involvement.

I Have Been Named Personal Representative. What Do I Do Now?

Serving as personal representative of an estate may involve locating assets, addressing debts and expenses, preparing court filings, handling tax matters, and distributing property to beneficiaries.

Crippen, Urquhart & Weber guides personal representatives through probate and estate administration. The firm helps fiduciaries understand their responsibilities and complete the legal and practical steps required to settle an estate.

What Are a Successor Trustee’s Responsibilities?

A successor trustee may need to take control of trust property, pay expenses, communicate with beneficiaries, prepare accountings, and distribute assets according to the trust’s instructions.

The firm assists trustees with trust administration and the fiduciary duties that come with the role. Legal guidance can be particularly valuable when the trust owns real estate, business interests, or other assets that require ongoing management before distribution.

How Does Real Estate Affect an Estate Plan?

For many families, a home or other real property represents a significant part of the estate. Rental property, jointly owned land, and family property can create additional questions about ownership and transfer.

Because Crippen, Urquhart & Weber also practices real estate law, its attorneys can help coordinate estate planning with deeds, property transfers, sales, and other real estate matters. This allows property-related issues to be addressed as part of the broader plan rather than separately.

Planning for a Family or Closely Held Business

Business owners may need to decide who will manage the company during incapacity, whether relatives will continue the business, or how an ownership interest should be transferred at death or retirement.

The firm’s business practice includes business formation, sales, retirement transitions, and transfers to family members. That experience can help clients coordinate business planning with wills, trusts, and succession decisions.

When Should You Review an Existing Estate Plan?

A plan prepared years ago may no longer reflect current family relationships, assets, or beneficiary choices. Marriage, divorce, the birth of children or grandchildren, the purchase or sale of property, retirement, and changes in business ownership are all reasons to review existing documents.

Regular reviews also provide an opportunity to confirm that beneficiary designations and account ownership still support the intended plan.

A Long-Established Ann Arbor Estate Planning Practice

Crippen, Urquhart & Weber has served Ann Arbor families and businesses for decades. Its estate practice combines planning, probate, trust administration, real estate, and business law, making it well suited to clients whose legal and financial affairs overlap.

The firm assists clients with both advance planning and the responsibilities that arise after a death, from creating coordinated estate documents to helping personal representatives and trustees administer property for beneficiaries.

Practice Areas

• Estate Planning

• Wills

• Trusts

• Durable Financial Powers of Attorney

• Patient Advocate Designations

• Guardian Nominations

• Beneficiary Designation Reviews

• Probate Administration

• Estate Administration

• Trust Administration

• Fiduciary Guidance

• Real Estate Transfers

• Business Succession Planning

• Small-Business Planning

• Estate Plan Reviews