Lex Novus

Estate Planning Attorneys in Troy, Michigan

Lex Novus is a Troy law firm that concentrates on estate planning, probate, business law, and real estate. Rather than treating these areas as separate legal services, the firm focuses on how they intersect in everyday life—helping clients create estate plans that account for family relationships, business ownership, real estate, beneficiary designations, and the practical realities of administering an estate.

Attorney Mark E. Mueller emphasizes developing individualized plans based on each client's circumstances. Whether someone is creating a first estate plan or revisiting one that no longer reflects their family's needs, the firm's approach is centered on building legal documents that work together rather than simply preparing isolated forms.

When a Blended Family Needs More Than a Simple Estate Plan

Second marriages often create competing priorities. A client may want to provide financial security for a spouse while also preserving assets for children from a prior relationship.

Lex Novus helps clients structure estate plans that address these concerns through carefully designed trust arrangements and coordinated estate planning documents. Rather than relying on assumptions about how property will pass, the firm works with clients to document how and when assets should ultimately be distributed.

Making Sure an Inheritance Doesn't Become a Burden

Leaving property to children or grandchildren is often straightforward, but some beneficiaries may not yet be prepared to manage a substantial inheritance. Others may have disabilities or receive public benefits that could be affected by an outright distribution.

The firm prepares trusts that allow clients to determine how inherited assets should be managed and distributed over time. Lex Novus also assists families with supplemental needs trusts designed to provide financial support while considering eligibility for government benefit programs.

When Beneficiary Forms Tell a Different Story Than Your Estate Plan

Many people assume that a will or trust controls the distribution of every asset they own. In reality, retirement accounts, life insurance policies, and many financial accounts pass according to beneficiary designations.

Lex Novus places significant emphasis on coordinating beneficiary designations with the overall estate plan. Reviewing these documents together helps reduce the possibility that outdated forms could unintentionally override a client's current wishes.

Preparing for the Day Someone Else Must Step In

Estate planning also means preparing for situations that occur during a person's lifetime. A serious illness or injury can leave someone unable to manage finances or make healthcare decisions.

The firm prepares durable powers of attorney, patient advocate designations, advance medical directives, and related planning documents so trusted individuals have the legal authority to act when needed. By addressing incapacity planning in advance, clients can reduce the likelihood that family members will need to seek guardianship or conservatorship through the court.

Helping a Successor Trustee Take Over With Confidence

Many clients choose a revocable living trust but give little thought to the person who will eventually administer it.

Lex Novus advises clients on selecting successor trustees and assists trustees after they assume responsibility for administering a trust. The firm provides guidance throughout the trust administration process so fiduciaries understand both the terms of the trust and their legal responsibilities.

Keeping a Family Business Part of the Plan

When an estate includes a closely held business, ownership transitions should be considered long before retirement or death.

Lex Novus integrates business succession planning into the estate planning process, helping clients coordinate ownership interests with trusts, wills, and other planning documents. By addressing these issues together, the firm helps reduce uncertainty for family members and business successors.

Guiding Families Through Probate

After the death of a loved one, personal representatives are responsible for carrying out numerous legal and financial duties while family members are often still grieving.

Lex Novus assists personal representatives throughout Michigan probate proceedings, including collecting estate assets, addressing creditor claims, preparing required filings, handling tax matters, and distributing property to beneficiaries. The firm also advises clients regarding trust administration and available procedures for qualifying small estates.

Serving Troy and Surrounding Michigan Communities

From its office in Troy, Lex Novus represents clients throughout Oakland County, including Troy, Rochester Hills, Sterling Heights, and surrounding Michigan communities. The firm's practice is built around coordinating every part of an estate plan—from trusts and beneficiary designations to business interests and probate administration—so families have a plan that functions as a complete whole rather than a collection of unrelated documents.

Practice Areas

• Estate Planning

• Wills

• Revocable Living Trusts

• Irrevocable Trusts

• Trust Administration

• Probate

• Small Estate Administration

• Powers of Attorney

• Patient Advocate Designations

• Advance Medical Directives

• Guardianships

• Conservatorships

• Supplemental Needs Trusts

• Medicaid Planning

• Estate and Gift Tax Planning

• Business Succession Planning

• Beneficiary Designation Planning

• Domestic Asset Protection Trusts

• Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts