Hurwitz & Sloan

Estate Planning & Probate Attorney in Dearborn Heights, Michigan

Estate planning often starts with practical questions. Who should receive property after a death? Who should be able to handle financial or other important matters if someone becomes unable to act independently? How should a home be transferred as part of an estate plan? And what can a family do when a loved one can no longer manage personal or financial affairs without assistance?

Hurwitz & Sloan, P.C. assists individuals and families with estate planning and probate from its Dearborn Heights office. Attorney Victoria Sloan's practice includes probate and estate planning, wills and powers of attorney, guardianships and conservatorships, and property transfers and Lady Bird deeds.

The firm's estate-related work therefore addresses needs that can arise both before and after incapacity or death, from putting basic planning documents in place to handling probate and court proceedings involving a person who needs assistance managing personal or financial matters.

Putting Basic Estate Planning Decisions in Writing

A will provides a way to establish how property should be handled after death rather than leaving those decisions unaddressed.

Hurwitz & Sloan prepares wills for clients who want to document their wishes and establish an estate plan. The firm also handles powers of attorney, allowing clients to designate another person to act on their behalf in circumstances covered by the document.

For Michigan families, these decisions can become important well before someone expects an estate to be administered. An accident, illness, or declining capacity can create a need for another person to handle matters during the client's lifetime.

Making that choice in advance allows an individual to decide whom to entrust with that authority rather than waiting until a family is already dealing with an unexpected problem.

Addressing a Home or Other Property in an Estate Plan

A house is often among a family's most significant assets, making real estate an important part of many estate plans.

Hurwitz & Sloan handles property transfers and Lady Bird deeds, also known as enhanced life estate deeds. This type of deed is one estate-planning tool available for Michigan real property and may be considered when determining how a home or other property should eventually be transferred.

The appropriate way to address real estate depends on the owner's circumstances and objectives. For someone whose estate consists largely of a home and other relatively straightforward assets, the planning questions may be different from those faced by a family with more complicated property arrangements.

The firm's work with property transfers allows real estate to be addressed alongside wills, powers of attorney, and other estate concerns rather than leaving ownership of the property out of the planning discussion.

When a Loved One Can No Longer Manage Personal Affairs

Sometimes a family does not begin looking for legal assistance until an older parent or another vulnerable person is already having difficulty making or carrying out important decisions.

Hurwitz & Sloan handles guardianship proceedings for situations in which court involvement is needed to address responsibility for another person's personal affairs.

These cases can involve difficult questions for families. Relatives may need to determine whether assistance is necessary and who should take responsibility for decisions affecting the individual's care and well-being.

Victoria Sloan's legal experience includes serving as a guardian ad litem in various proceedings. That experience accompanies the firm's representation in guardianship and conservatorship matters.

When Someone Can No Longer Handle Finances or Property

A conservatorship addresses a different concern: management of another person's finances and property.

Hurwitz & Sloan represents clients in conservatorship matters when court-supervised financial management becomes necessary. A family may encounter this issue when a loved one is no longer able to adequately handle money, property, or other financial affairs independently.

Guardianship and conservatorship can arise together, but they address different responsibilities. A person may need assistance with personal decisions, financial affairs, or both, depending on the circumstances.

These proceedings can be particularly significant because they affect the affairs of a living person. Families considering them are dealing not only with financial or legal concerns but also with questions involving independence and who should be entrusted with responsibility for someone who needs assistance.

Dealing With Probate After a Death

After a family member dies, attention can shift from planning to determining what legal process is needed to address the person's estate.

Probate is part of Victoria Sloan's practice at Hurwitz & Sloan. The firm assists clients with probate matters when an estate requires court involvement.

For family members, probate can represent an unfamiliar responsibility arriving at an already difficult time. Someone may have been named to handle the deceased person's affairs without having any previous experience with the probate court or estate matters.

The need for probate and the issues involved depend on the deceased person's circumstances, property, and existing arrangements. Legal assistance can help families address the probate process and determine what needs to be done with the estate.

Probate also has longstanding roots in the firm. Retired attorney Miles Hurwitz's former practice included probate and wills, while Sloan continues the firm's work in probate and estate planning today.

Estate Planning and Probate From a Dearborn Heights Office

Hurwitz & Sloan maintains its office on North Telegraph Road in Dearborn Heights.

From that location, Victoria Sloan works with individuals and families on wills, powers of attorney, probate, guardianships and conservatorships, and estate-planning issues involving Michigan real property.

The firm's estate practice can therefore assist at several different points in a family's planning—from someone putting a will or power of attorney in place, to relatives confronting a loved one's loss of capacity, to a family addressing probate after a death.

Practice Areas

• Estate Planning

• Wills

• Powers of Attorney

• Probate

• Guardianships

• Conservatorships

• Lady Bird Deeds

• Property Transfers