Greenlee Law

Estate Planning and Probate Attorneys in Kalamazoo, Michigan

Greenlee Law, P.C. helps individuals and families prepare estate plans and address matters in Michigan probate court. Its estate-related services include wills, trusts, living wills, durable powers of attorney, deeds, tax planning, guardianships, conservatorships, will contests and litigation involving estate property.

Estate planning is one part of a broader practice that also includes family law, bankruptcy, Social Security disability and the preparation of qualified domestic relations orders. This combination can be relevant when a divorce, financial problem or disability affects a family’s property and future plans.

Greenlee Law is located in Kalamazoo and serves clients from Kalamazoo and the surrounding Southwest Michigan region.

You Have a Family and Property but No Estate Plan

A person does not need to own a large estate before questions about inheritance become important. A home, bank accounts, vehicles and personal belongings all need to pass to someone after the owner’s death.

A will allows someone to identify beneficiaries and provide instructions for property administered through the estate. Parents can also use a will to address who should care for minor children if both parents die or become unavailable.

Greenlee Law prepares wills and other estate-planning documents based on the client’s family and property. Planning can also address when and how beneficiaries receive assets rather than assuming that every inheritance should be distributed immediately.

Major life changes may create a reason to revisit existing documents. Marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, a death in the family or a significant change in property ownership can leave an older plan out of step with the client’s current wishes.

A Medical Crisis Leaves Your Family Unsure Who Can Act

An estate plan can provide authority for financial and healthcare decisions during life. This becomes important when illness, injury or cognitive decline prevents someone from managing personal affairs.

Greenlee Law prepares durable powers of attorney. A financial power of attorney can authorize a selected person to manage appropriate assets and obligations when the person creating the document can no longer do so.

The practice also prepares living wills and medical decision-making documents. These arrangements can help identify who should communicate with healthcare providers and make decisions if the patient cannot express personal wishes.

Without adequate advance documents, relatives may discover that they cannot access accounts, manage property or make crucial decisions merely because they are family members. A spouse or adult child may then need to seek authority through probate court.

A Trust Was Signed but the Property Was Never Transferred Into It

Creating a trust does not automatically place a home, account or other asset under the trust’s control. The trust must be funded for it to govern the intended property.

Funding may involve transferring ownership or changing an appropriate beneficiary designation. A residence can be transferred through a deed to the person serving as trustee. Business interests may require an assignment that complies with the company’s governing agreements.

Greenlee Law advises clients about funding trusts and coordinating them with real estate, financial accounts, life insurance and business interests. Accurate names and dates matter because inconsistencies may cause a financial institution to reject the trustee’s authority or require court involvement.

Insurance should also be considered before transferring insured property. Moving a home or another asset into a trust without addressing the policy may create questions about whether the correct person or trust is covered.

If property remains solely in the individual owner’s name, the family may still need probate before it can gain access to or transfer that asset. Reviewing how a trust was funded can therefore be just as important as reviewing the trust document itself.

You Are Deciding Whether the House Belongs in the Trust

For many families, the home is the most valuable asset and the property most closely associated with stability. Transferring it to a revocable trust may help the family avoid probate for the house and keep the eventual transfer more private.

That decision is not automatic. Michigan property law can raise issues involving creditor protection, property-tax treatment, land-division rights, title insurance and homeowners insurance.

For a married couple, transferring a residence from ownership as tenants by the entirety into a trust can affect the protection the home previously had from creditors of only one spouse. An insurer or title company may also require changes or additional documentation after the transfer.

Greenlee Law’s planning materials address both the potential advantages and complications of placing a Michigan residence in a revocable trust. The right arrangement depends on the owners, the property and the purpose of the transfer.

A Parent Dies and You Need to Determine What Happens Next

After a death, relatives may need to identify the will, locate property and determine whether a probate estate is necessary. The person nominated in a will does not automatically receive legal authority to act merely because the document names that person.

Probate court can appoint a personal representative and issue the authority needed to administer estate property. The representative may then need to secure assets, identify creditors, address valid obligations and distribute the remaining estate according to the will or Michigan law.

Greenlee Law represents clients in probate proceedings and provides guidance on preparing for an initial probate consultation. Useful information may include the original will, death certificate, names and addresses of interested family members, deeds, financial statements and information about debts.

Not every asset necessarily belongs in the probate estate. Property owned jointly with survivorship rights and accounts with valid beneficiary designations may transfer through those arrangements. Trust-owned assets are handled under the trust. Determining how each asset is titled is an important early step.

You Have Been Appointed Personal Representative

Being appointed personal representative creates responsibilities to the estate, creditors and beneficiaries. The representative must follow the court process and cannot simply divide the property immediately among family members.

The work can involve collecting and protecting assets, obtaining valuations, reviewing bills, paying approved expenses and keeping records of transactions. Real estate may need to be maintained, transferred or sold. Tax and creditor issues may also need attention before distributions are completed.

Greenlee Law assists personal representatives with probate administration. Its estate materials address the practical steps that follow appointment, including preserving property, communicating with interested parties and obtaining the information required to complete the estate.

Disagreements may prolong the process. Beneficiaries can hold different views about the value of property, whether something should be sold or how the will should be interpreted. Legal guidance can help the representative distinguish personal family disagreements from duties imposed by the will and the probate court.

Family Members Dispute a Will or Estate Property

Probate becomes more complicated when relatives question the validity of a will or disagree about estate property. A dispute may involve competing documents, conflicting expectations or concerns about the conduct of the person managing the estate.

Greenlee Law represents clients in will contests and lawsuits concerning estate property. These matters require examination of the relevant documents, the ownership of the disputed assets and the circumstances surrounding the disagreement.

A conflict may arise because one relative believes certain property was promised outside the will, while another relies on the written estate plan. Other disputes concern whether an asset belongs to the estate, a surviving owner or a trust.

Probate litigation can affect how quickly an estate is resolved and how much property remains for beneficiaries. Clarifying the legal and factual issues early may help the family determine whether the matter can be resolved or requires a court decision.

Medicaid Benefits May Lead to an Estate-Recovery Claim

Medicaid can pay for certain healthcare and long-term-care services for eligible individuals. In some circumstances, Michigan may later seek reimbursement through its Medicaid Estate Recovery Program after the recipient’s death.

Greenlee Law addresses Medicaid planning and estate recovery in connection with probate. Its materials identify nursing-home care, MI Choice Waiver services, PACE and home-help services among the benefits that may be relevant to estate recovery for qualifying recipients.

A claim can become a serious concern when the estate includes the family home. The personal representative or heirs may receive notice after the recipient’s death and need to determine whether the claim applies or whether an exemption or hardship provision is relevant.

Because eligibility, recovery and available planning options depend on individual circumstances, families may benefit from considering the issue before a transfer or death rather than waiting until probate has already begun.

Divorce Changes the Family and the Estate Plan

Divorce affects property ownership, financial obligations and family relationships. It can also create a need to reconsider beneficiaries and the people selected to manage financial or medical decisions.

Someone who has recently divorced may no longer want a former spouse serving as agent, trustee or beneficiary. Deeds, retirement plans, insurance policies and other beneficiary arrangements may need review along with the will and trust.

Greenlee Law’s work in both family law and estate planning allows it to address these overlapping concerns. Its family-law services include property division, custody, support, marital agreements and qualified domestic relations orders involving retirement benefits.

Reviewing the estate plan after divorce can help make sure that documents and property arrangements reflect the person’s new circumstances.

Estate Planning and Probate in Southwest Michigan

Greenlee Law’s Kalamazoo office serves individuals and families throughout Southwest Michigan. Its estate work covers planning before incapacity or death, trust funding, probate administration and disputes involving wills or estate property.

The practice can assist families at different stages—from creating their first will or trust to managing a parent’s estate and responding to a contested probate matter.

Practice Areas

• Estate Planning

• Wills and Living Wills

• Trusts and Trust Funding

• Durable Powers of Attorney

• Deeds and Property Planning

• Tax Planning

• Probate Administration

• Guardianships and Conservatorships

• Will Contests

• Estate-Property Litigation

• Medicaid Estate-Recovery Planning

• Family Law and Divorce

• Qualified Domestic Relations Orders