Dunn, Schouten

Estate Planning and Probate Attorneys in Belmont, Michigan

Dunn, Schouten & Snoap is a Belmont law firm serving individuals, families and businesses in Western Michigan. Founded in 1982, the firm maintains a broad civil practice that includes estate planning and probate alongside business law, real estate, litigation and other legal services.

For families, estate planning often begins with practical questions rather than legal terminology. Who would care for young children if both parents died? Who could handle finances during an incapacity? Should an inheritance pass directly to a beneficiary or remain in a trust? What happens when a family member has special needs? Dunn, Schouten & Snoap helps clients address these questions through wills, trusts, powers of attorney and other planning tools tailored to their circumstances.

Protecting Children and Other Family Members

Parents of minor children have decisions to make that extend well beyond deciding who receives their property. An estate plan can identify the people they want to serve as guardians if the parents die while their children are still young. Without advance planning, those decisions may ultimately have to be resolved through the court system.

How children receive an inheritance can matter as well. Leaving substantial assets outright to a young beneficiary may not produce the result a parent intended. Trust planning can provide a structure for holding and managing property rather than requiring everything to pass directly to a beneficiary at once.

Dunn, Schouten & Snoap also assists with planning for beneficiaries with special needs. A family may need to consider more than simply dividing an estate equally among children. When a child or other dependent has disabilities or requires continuing assistance, the way an inheritance is structured can have long-term consequences. The firm's estate-planning work includes addressing the particular needs of these beneficiaries as part of the family's overall plan.

Planning for Incapacity as Well as Death

An estate plan is not solely about what happens after someone dies. Illness, injury or declining capacity can leave a person unable to make financial or personal decisions while still living.

Powers of attorney and other advance-planning documents allow clients to establish who should act for them if that happens. Attorney Perry G. Pastula's estate-planning practice includes wills, trusts, powers of attorney, living wills and related estate-planning instruments.

This can become particularly important as families confront an unexpected medical crisis or an older family member begins having difficulty managing his or her own affairs. Creating the appropriate documents while a person is able to make those decisions can provide a clearer framework for who has authority to act if circumstances later change.

Wills, Trusts and Avoiding Unnecessary Probate

Dunn, Schouten & Snoap works with clients to determine how property should pass at death and which estate-planning tools fit their objectives. The firm's work includes wills and trusts as well as planning intended to avoid probate where appropriate.

The choice between different planning approaches can depend on the client's assets, family circumstances and objectives. Some families primarily need a straightforward plan identifying beneficiaries and decision-makers. Others may have concerns involving trusts, estate taxes, creditor protection, charitable giving or the management of property for beneficiaries over time.

The firm also assists clients interested in protecting assets from potential creditors and lawsuits. For families with more complicated financial circumstances, estate planning can therefore involve not only deciding who ultimately receives property but also considering how assets should be owned and protected during the client's lifetime and transferred afterward.

When a Family Member Dies

Even a carefully prepared estate plan eventually has to be carried out. Dunn, Schouten & Snoap represents clients in probate and estate administration and assists personal representatives with the legal responsibilities that arise after a death.

Administration can involve authenticating a will, identifying and protecting estate assets, notifying creditors, addressing debts and ultimately distributing property to the appropriate heirs or beneficiaries. The firm's attorneys also represent executors and administrators in proceedings before the probate court.

For a family member serving as personal representative, these responsibilities can arrive at an already difficult time. The person may suddenly be responsible for property, financial records, creditor issues and court requirements while also trying to determine what the deceased person's estate plan requires. Legal assistance can help the representative work through those obligations and move the estate toward proper distribution and closure.

Disagreements can also emerge during administration. Dunn, Schouten & Snoap represents clients when disputes arise in connection with the probate process, giving families access to a firm that handles both routine estate administration and litigation when a matter becomes contested.

Estate Planning for Business Owners

Estate planning can become considerably more complicated when a person's wealth includes a closely held business. A business owner has to consider not only who should inherit personal assets, but what will happen to the company and the owner's interest in it.

Dunn, Schouten & Snoap's broader business practice makes this an especially relevant part of its estate work. The firm advises corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships and other businesses and handles matters involving formation, contracts, transactions, operations, mergers and acquisitions and general business counsel. Its services expressly include estate planning for business owners and business succession.

For an owner who has spent years building a company, leaving the ownership interest without a workable transition plan can create problems for both the family and the business. Family members may inherit an asset they do not know how to manage, multiple heirs may have different expectations about the company's future, or the death of a key owner may leave questions about who has authority to continue operations.

Coordinating estate and business planning allows those issues to be considered before a death or incapacity forces the family and remaining owners to address them under pressure.

A Belmont Firm Serving Western Michigan

Dunn, Schouten & Snoap traces its history to 1982 and practices from its office at 6350 Jupiter Avenue NE in Belmont. The firm's estate-planning practice serves clients throughout Western Michigan.

Perry G. Pastula has practiced law in Michigan since 1983 and handles estate planning and probate in addition to business and other civil matters. His estate work includes wills, trusts, powers of attorney, living wills and probate administration.

The firm's combination of estate planning, probate and business representation can be particularly useful when a family's legal needs overlap. An estate may contain business interests or real property, an owner's personal estate plan may need to coordinate with company arrangements, or a probate matter may develop into a dispute requiring litigation experience.

Practice Areas

• Estate Planning

• Wills

• Trusts

• Powers of Attorney

• Living Wills

• Special Needs Planning

• Guardianship Planning for Minor Children

• Probate Avoidance Planning

• Estate Tax and Cost Planning

• Asset Protection

• Charitable Giving

• Probate and Estate Administration

• Probate Disputes

• Estate Planning for Business Owners

• Business Succession Planning