Foley, Baron, Metzger & Juip

Estate Planning & Probate Attorneys in Livonia, Michigan

Foley, Baron, Metzger & Juip, PLLC (FBMJ) is a Livonia law firm whose services include estate planning and probate alongside a much broader civil litigation and business practice. The firm represents individuals, businesses, trusts, estates, healthcare organizations, insurers, and other clients from its Southeast Michigan office.

Estate planning and probate are not the firm's dominant public-facing practice areas. FBMJ is particularly known for complex civil litigation involving commercial, environmental, healthcare, and product-liability matters. Within that larger practice, however, attorneys including Joseph P. McGill and Carole S. Empey handle estate planning and probate matters for individuals and families.

Planning When an Estate Includes Business or Real Estate Interests

An estate can become more complicated when someone's property extends beyond a home, financial accounts, and ordinary personal assets. Ownership of a closely held business or interests in business real estate can introduce legal questions that overlap with the owner's broader business affairs.

Joseph P. McGill's practice includes estate planning and probate together with business and corporate law and business real estate. That combination can be relevant for individuals whose personal estate cannot be considered entirely separately from their ownership of companies or commercial property.

FBMJ's broader business practice also gives the firm experience working with companies and their owners on legal matters outside the estate context. When an individual's estate includes business-related assets, those existing ownership and property issues can form part of the larger legal picture that needs to be considered.

When a Loved One's Estate Must Go Through Probate

A death can leave family members responsible for determining what legal steps are necessary to settle the deceased person's affairs. Depending on how property was owned and the arrangements made before death, probate may become part of that process.

FBMJ handles probate matters in addition to estate planning. Probate representation can help families address the legal process that follows a death and work toward transferring estate property to the people entitled to receive it.

The firm's publicly available estate material does not provide extensive detail about the particular types of probate proceedings it handles. For that reason, its probate practice is best understood broadly rather than attributing specific contested-estate or trust-litigation services to the firm without additional information.

Estate Planning Within a Broader Legal Practice

FBMJ differs from a boutique firm devoted exclusively to wills, trusts, or elder law. Estate planning and probate are offered within a practice that also encompasses business and commercial matters, real estate, healthcare law, environmental law, insurance matters, and substantial civil litigation.

That broader structure may be relevant when an individual's estate concerns intersect with another legal area. A business owner may have corporate interests to consider, while an estate containing commercial property may involve real-estate questions in addition to the ordinary issues associated with transferring property after death.

At the same time, the firm's available information does not establish specialized services in areas such as Medicaid planning, special-needs planning, advanced estate-tax planning, or particular trust strategies. Families seeking those specific services should determine directly whether the firm's estate attorneys handle the type of planning involved.

Attorneys Handling Estate Planning & Probate Matters

Joseph P. McGill has practiced in Michigan since 1990 and handles estate planning and probate in addition to business and corporate law, business real estate, insurance coverage, and other civil matters. His combination of estate, business, and real-estate work is particularly relevant when a client's property includes interests that raise issues across more than one of those areas.

Carole S. Empey also handles estate planning and probate matters as part of her practice with FBMJ. Her broader work includes healthcare and medical-malpractice matters.

Together, their estate-related work forms one component of a considerably larger firm rather than a standalone estate-planning department.

Serving Livonia, Southeast Michigan & Clients Throughout Michigan

Foley, Baron, Metzger & Juip is based on Six Mile Road in Livonia. From its Southeast Michigan office, the firm represents clients throughout Michigan and beyond.

For individuals seeking estate planning or probate representation, FBMJ offers those services within a firm whose broader capabilities include business, real estate, healthcare, environmental, insurance, and civil litigation matters. This can be relevant when an estate or personal planning matter overlaps with other legal interests already involving the individual, family, or business.

Practice Areas

• Estate Planning

• Probate

• Trusts and Estates

• Business and Corporate Law

• Business Real Estate

• Commercial Litigation

• Healthcare Law

• Environmental Law

• Insurance Law