Jeff M. Burns

Estate Planning and Probate Attorney in St. Clair Shores, Michigan

Families often seek legal help at very different stages. One person may be preparing a trust to control how property passes after death, while another may already be responsible for administering a relative’s estate. In more difficult cases, family members may disagree about whether a will is valid, whether someone was pressured into signing documents, or whether a trustee handled assets properly.

Jeff M. Burns assists clients with estate planning, elder law, probate and trust administration, and disputes involving wills, trusts, and fiduciaries.

Estate and Trust Planning

A well-prepared estate plan can provide instructions for managing property during incapacity and for distributing assets after death. Jeff M. Burns works directly with clients to develop estate plans based on their family relationships, property, and long-term objectives.

Depending on the circumstances, planning may involve wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and related documents. Trust planning may be useful for clients who want greater control over how assets are managed or distributed, including families concerned about the timing or conditions of an inheritance.

The firm also helps clients consider how property ownership and estate planning documents work together, including whether an estate plan may reduce the amount of property that must pass through probate.

Planning for Aging and Disability

Estate planning becomes especially important when an older adult or a person with a disability may eventually need help managing financial or personal affairs.

The firm’s elder law and disability planning work addresses the need to establish legal authority before a crisis develops. Families may seek guidance when a parent is beginning to lose the ability to manage finances, when a serious diagnosis raises concerns about future decision-making, or when an individual wants to choose who will act on their behalf if they become incapacitated.

The goal is to create clear instructions before relatives are forced to make urgent decisions without adequate legal authority.

Probate and Trust Administration

After a death, a personal representative or trustee may be responsible for identifying assets, addressing debts and expenses, maintaining records, and distributing property to beneficiaries.

Jeff M. Burns represents clients in probate and trust administration, helping fiduciaries understand their legal responsibilities and move the estate or trust toward completion. This can be particularly important when the assets are complicated, beneficiaries have questions, or relatives disagree about how the estate should be handled.

Will and Trust Contests

Some estate matters develop into disputes over whether a will or trust should be enforced.

The firm handles litigation involving allegations of undue influence and incapacity. These issues may arise when an older or vulnerable person changes an estate plan shortly before death, gives an unexpected benefit to one individual, or excludes close relatives who believed they would inherit.

A dispute may focus on whether the person understood the document being signed or whether another person improperly pressured or controlled the decision.

Disputes Involving Trustees and Other Fiduciaries

Trustees, personal representatives, and other fiduciaries are required to carry out their responsibilities properly and act according to the governing documents and applicable law.

Jeff M. Burns represents clients in claims involving alleged breaches of fiduciary duty. These disputes may involve missing or unexplained assets, incomplete financial information, delayed distributions, improper use of estate property, or disagreements about whether a fiduciary is following the terms of a trust or will.

The firm may represent beneficiaries seeking accountability as well as fiduciaries responding to challenges concerning their conduct.

Estate Matters from Planning Through Litigation

From his St. Clair Shores, Michigan office, Jeff M. Burns handles estate matters at several distinct stages. Clients may first contact the firm to prepare a plan, return later for help administering an estate or trust, or seek representation after a disagreement has developed among beneficiaries or fiduciaries. This combined practice allows the firm to address both preventive planning and the problems that can emerge after incapacity or death.

Practice Areas

• Estate Planning

• Wills

• Trusts

• Elder Law

• Disability Planning

• Powers of Attorney

• Probate Administration

• Trust Administration

• Probate Litigation

• Trust Litigation

• Will Contests

• Undue Influence Claims

• Incapacity Claims

• Breach of Fiduciary Duty Claims