Hettinger & Robinson

Estate Planning, Probate and Bankruptcy Lawyers in Kalamazoo, Michigan

Hettinger & Robinson helps Southwest Michigan individuals, families and businesses plan for the future, administer property after a death and respond to serious financial problems. Its principal areas of practice are estate planning, probate and estate administration, trust administration, debt relief and bankruptcy.

The firm prepares estate plans and assists the people responsible for carrying them out. Its work includes wills, trusts and powers of attorney, as well as probate proceedings and the responsibilities that arise when someone becomes a trustee or personal representative. Elder law and Medicaid matters are also included among the firm’s services.

On the financial side, Hettinger & Robinson represents consumers, business owners, family farmers and other clients considering bankruptcy or debt restructuring. These services address problems such as unmanageable medical or credit-card debt, wage garnishment, foreclosure, vehicle repossession and business obligations that can no longer be paid as they become due.

Your Family Needs a Plan Before the Unexpected Happens

Estate planning allows an adult to document decisions about property, beneficiaries and future decision-making. Hettinger & Robinson prepares estate plans based on the client’s assets, preferences and family circumstances.

A will can identify who should receive property and who should be responsible for administering the estate. Trusts can provide additional instructions for holding, managing or distributing assets. A family may consider a trust when beneficiaries are young, when property should be managed over time or when the family wants to establish more detailed conditions for distribution.

Powers of attorney address what happens during the client’s lifetime. If an illness or injury prevents someone from handling financial or legal matters, the person named in the document may be able to act without first seeking authority through a court proceeding.

An estate plan should also be reviewed as circumstances change. A document created years earlier may no longer account for new property, a deceased or incapacitated beneficiary, changes in family relationships or the people the client would currently choose to handle important responsibilities.

Someone You Love Has Died and You Must Open the Estate

Probate responsibilities often fall on a surviving spouse, adult child or other relative who has never handled an estate. That person may be trying to locate a will, secure the deceased person’s home and identify financial accounts while also coping with the death.

Hettinger & Robinson assists with probate and estate administration. The probate process generally begins with a petition in the county where the deceased person lived. The court then determines who is authorized to serve as personal representative and manage the estate.

Administration may require the personal representative to identify and value assets, notify creditors, review claims, pay valid debts and distribute the remaining property. Estate administration can also involve assets that are not controlled by probate, as well as tax and other financial matters.

Even an estate that appears straightforward can involve deadlines and procedural requirements. Questions may arise about whether particular property belongs to the estate, whether a creditor’s demand should be paid or whether the personal representative has authority to sell or distribute an asset.

Family Members Disagree About What Should Happen

Probate can become more difficult when beneficiaries disagree about the will, the handling of property or what each person should receive. Grief and longstanding family tensions may make ordinary administrative decisions harder to resolve.

Hettinger & Robinson handles challenges that arise during probate and estate administration. These can include will contests, disputes among heirs or beneficiaries and lawsuits affecting the estate. When possible, the firm uses mediation to seek a resolution without extended court proceedings.

Disagreements can delay distribution and increase the estate’s expenses. The personal representative may need guidance about continuing the administration while a dispute remains unresolved. A beneficiary may need help understanding whether the challenged conduct affects their inheritance or the validity of the will.

Probate litigation can require more than interpreting an estate document. Financial records, ownership documents, creditor claims and the personal representative’s actions may all become relevant to determining what happened and how the estate should proceed.

You Were Named as Trustee but Do Not Know What Comes Next

Being selected as trustee carries substantial responsibility. A trustee must understand the trust’s instructions, identify the property it controls and act in the beneficiaries’ interests.

Hettinger & Robinson assists with trust administration. The work can begin with reading the trust and gathering documents such as bank statements, insurance information, rental agreements and death certificates. The trustee may then need to verify how property is titled, create an inventory and determine the value of the trust’s assets.

Beneficiaries and creditors may need to be notified. Valid debts and expenses must be addressed, and the trustee generally needs to maintain records showing how money and property were handled. Before distributing assets, the trustee may need to provide beneficiaries with an accounting.

The responsibilities can include tax returns, property sales, creditor communications and continuing distributions. A family member may be willing to serve but still need assistance understanding deadlines, maintaining an adequate paper trail and distinguishing personal property from trust property.

The Trust Contains Outdated Instructions or a Beneficiary Cannot Receive Property

Trust administration does not always proceed exactly as expected. A beneficiary may have died or become incapacitated since the trust was signed. Provisions that made sense years earlier may no longer correspond to the family’s circumstances or the property currently held in the trust.

Hettinger & Robinson addresses problems involving outdated trust terms, beneficiary status and uncertainty about distributions. The trustee may need to identify contingent beneficiaries or seek court guidance when the document does not clearly explain what should happen.

Conflict may also arise when the trustee has discretion over distributions. One beneficiary may believe another person is receiving preferential treatment, or beneficiaries may question how the trustee has managed or valued an asset.

These problems can delay administration and create additional expense. Careful trust drafting and periodic review may reduce the likelihood of ambiguity, while legal guidance during administration can help a trustee respond when the original plan no longer fits the circumstances.

Debt Is Threatening the Family’s Home, Car or Income

Financial problems can affect housing, transportation, relationships and a family’s ability to plan for the future. Someone dealing with medical bills, credit-card balances or personal loans may also face collection calls, lawsuits, frozen accounts or wage garnishment.

Hettinger & Robinson evaluates bankruptcy and alternatives such as debt negotiation, settlement, consolidation, credit counseling and asset liquidation. Its bankruptcy practice includes Chapters 7, 11, 12 and 13, debt restructuring and bankruptcy litigation.

Chapter 7 may allow an eligible person to discharge qualifying debts through a liquidation proceeding. The process requires complete financial disclosure, including information about income, property, expenses and creditors. The treatment of property depends on the applicable exemptions and the circumstances of the case.

Bankruptcy is not the only possible response to debt. Reviewing the household’s finances can help determine whether a bankruptcy filing or another form of debt relief is more appropriate.

You Have Income but Cannot Catch Up on the Mortgage or Car Payments

Chapter 13 bankruptcy permits eligible individuals and married couples with regular income to propose a court-supervised repayment plan. Plans generally continue for three to five years, with payments collected and distributed through a bankruptcy trustee.

A Chapter 13 case may be considered when someone has fallen behind on a mortgage, vehicle loan or utility payments but wants an opportunity to retain important property. It can also address wage garnishment, creditor lawsuits and frozen bank accounts.

The debtor must provide information about creditors, property, household expenses and income. Married clients may need to disclose household financial information even when only one spouse files. The person filing must also complete required counseling and make the payments established under the approved plan.

Hettinger & Robinson helps clients evaluate eligibility, prepare the required paperwork and participate in bankruptcy hearings. Completing the plan depends on maintaining the required payments throughout the case.

A Family Farm or Small Business Is Struggling With Debt

Business debt can threaten more than the company itself. Owners may depend on the business for household income, while employees, relatives and vendors may also be affected by its financial condition.

Hettinger & Robinson represents businesses in debt restructuring and bankruptcy matters. Chapter 11 is generally used for business reorganization, while Chapter 12 is specifically designed for qualifying family farmers and fishermen. Sole proprietors with regular income may also consider Chapter 13 because the business and owner are not legally separate in the same way as a corporation or limited liability company.

A financially troubled business may be unable to meet payroll, pay vendors or respond to mounting creditor claims. Declining revenue and multiple lawsuits can further limit the owner’s ability to continue operating.

The firm reviews business and personal finances, explains available options and handles bankruptcy filings and hearings. Its broader service list also includes real estate and business formation, although the site provides substantially more detail about bankruptcy, probate and trust administration.

Serving Kalamazoo and Southwest Michigan

Hettinger & Robinson maintains its office on South Westnedge Avenue in Kalamazoo. The firm serves individuals, families and businesses in Southwest Michigan and also describes its services as available to Michigan clients generally.

Practice Areas

• Estate Planning

• Wills and Trusts

• Powers of Attorney

• Probate and Estate Administration

• Trust Administration

• Elder Law and Medicaid Matters

• Debt Relief and Restructuring

• Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

• Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

• Chapter 12 Bankruptcy

• Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

• Bankruptcy Litigation

• Real Estate

• Business Formation