Kemp Klein Law Firm

Estate Planning & Probate Attorneys in Troy, Michigan

Kemp Klein is a full-service law firm that has operated from Troy since 1969. Its estate-planning attorneys assist individuals, families, business owners, older adults and fiduciaries with planning, probate and trust administration, elder-law matters and disputes in probate court.

The firm’s related tax, business and litigation practices may become relevant when an estate includes a closely held company, substantial property, long-term-care concerns or contested fiduciary decisions.

When an Aging Parent Needs More Help Than Before

Many families begin thinking about estate planning only after a parent experiences declining health or difficulty managing everyday affairs. At that point, important legal and financial decisions often need to be made while balancing healthcare concerns, family relationships, and long-term care planning.

Kemp Klein assists clients with planning for incapacity through durable powers of attorney, healthcare directives, guardianships, conservatorships, and elder law services. The firm also advises families regarding Medicaid planning, Medicare issues, nursing home planning, retirement income concerns, and other legal matters that commonly arise as parents grow older.

Making Sure Beneficiary Designations Match the Estate Plan

A carefully drafted will or trust does not always determine who receives every asset. Retirement accounts, life insurance policies, and other financial assets often pass according to beneficiary designations that may have been completed years earlier.

Kemp Klein emphasizes reviewing beneficiary designations alongside the overall estate plan so that these documents work together rather than conflict with one another. This helps reduce the possibility that outdated beneficiary forms could direct an account or insurance benefit to someone different from the beneficiary named in the current plan.

Protecting a Family Member Who Will Need Lifelong Support

Providing for a loved one with disabilities requires planning that extends well beyond simply leaving an inheritance.

The firm's attorneys assist families with special needs planning, including trusts and related legal strategies intended to provide long-term financial support while considering eligibility for available government benefit programs. They also advise clients regarding guardianships and other protective arrangements when appropriate for the individual's circumstances.

Keeping a Family Business in the Family

For business owners, estate planning often includes questions about future management, ownership, and continuity. A successful succession plan requires coordination between estate planning documents and the legal structure of the business itself.

Kemp Klein works with business owners to integrate succession planning into their broader estate plans. The planning may require coordination among wills, trusts, tax considerations, company agreements and existing ownership arrangements before retirement, incapacity or an ownership transition occurs.

Helping Trustees and Personal Representatives Through Estate Administration

Serving as a trustee or personal representative involves responsibilities that can feel overwhelming, particularly for someone handling an estate for the first time.

Kemp Klein guides fiduciaries through probate and trust administration, assisting with court filings, asset management, distributions, required notices, and the many legal and administrative responsibilities involved in settling an estate. The firm's attorneys work to help fiduciaries understand both their authority and their obligations throughout the administration process.

When Probate Becomes a Family Dispute

Even thoughtfully prepared estate plans cannot prevent every disagreement. Questions regarding the validity of a will, the interpretation of trust provisions, the conduct of a trustee, or disagreements among beneficiaries sometimes lead to probate litigation.

Kemp Klein represents clients in estate and trust litigation involving contested wills, trust disputes, fiduciary conflicts, guardianship and conservatorship matters, and other probate court proceedings. 

Family disagreements may involve what a will or trust means, whether a trustee or personal representative managed property properly, or whether someone was pressured when signing an estate-planning document. Kemp Klein represents clients in these disputes as well as disagreements involving guardianships and conservatorships.

Planning for Complex Estates

Some estates require planning that goes well beyond basic wills and trusts. Significant assets, tax considerations, charitable goals, multiple generations of beneficiaries, or complex family circumstances may all influence the design of an estate plan.

Kemp Klein prepares a wide range of estate planning documents, including revocable and irrevocable trusts, living wills, healthcare directives, marital agreements, and tax-oriented planning strategies. The firm's attorneys tailor each plan to the client's circumstances rather than relying on a standard approach.

A Troy Firm Serving Families and Business Owners

Kemp Klein’s Troy office assists individuals, families, business owners, trustees, personal representatives and beneficiaries with estate planning, elder law, probate and trust administration, business succession and probate litigation. Its related tax, business and litigation practices can also address issues that overlap with an estate or trust matter.

Practice Areas

• Estate Planning

• Wills

• Revocable Trusts

• Irrevocable Trusts

• Probate Administration

• Trust Administration

• Elder Law

• Medicaid Planning

• Medicare Planning

• Long-Term Care Planning

• Guardianships

• Conservatorships

• Special Needs Planning

• Powers of Attorney

• Healthcare Directives

• Living Wills

• Estate and Trust Litigation

• Will Contests

• Trust Contests

• Business Succession Planning

• Tax Planning