Mihelich & Kavanaugh, Attorneys at Law

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

Estate planning works best when the documents, account designations, and property ownership all support the same plan. A will or trust may set out clear instructions, but problems can still arise if a house was never transferred into the trust, a beneficiary designation was not updated, or no one understands who should act during incapacity.

Mihelich & Kavanaugh assists clients with estate planning, probate, trust administration, guardianships, conservatorships, and special needs planning. The firm also helps personal representatives and successor trustees carry out the legal and administrative responsibilities that arise after a death.

Coordinating Wills, Trusts, and Incapacity Documents

A complete estate plan may include a will, trust, financial power of attorney, and healthcare directive. Each document serves a different purpose, and the plan must be coordinated so that family members know who has authority to act and how property should be handled.

For parents, this may include naming guardians for minor children. For older adults, it may involve choosing someone to manage finances or make medical decisions if illness or incapacity prevents them from acting independently.

Mihelich & Kavanaugh works with clients to organize these decisions into a practical plan that reflects their family relationships, property, and long-term goals.

Living Trusts and Trust Funding

A living trust can provide instructions for managing property during life and distributing it after death. It may also help keep properly transferred assets outside the probate process.

The trust document alone is not enough. Real estate, financial accounts, business interests, and other assets may need to be retitled or otherwise coordinated with the trust. The firm helps clients address trust funding and review beneficiary designations, payable-on-death accounts, transfer-on-death arrangements, and jointly owned property.

A pour-over will may also be used to direct certain property into the trust after death, particularly when an asset was not transferred during the client’s lifetime.

Special Needs and Guardianship Planning

Families caring for a child or adult with disabilities often need to consider how an inheritance could affect that person’s future support and financial management.

Mihelich & Kavanaugh assists with special needs trusts designed to hold and manage assets for a beneficiary with disabilities. The firm also handles guardianships and conservatorships when a person cannot safely make personal or financial decisions without court-appointed assistance.

These issues may arise when parents are planning for a dependent child, when an adult family member has a significant disability, or when an aging relative can no longer manage independently.

Probate and Estate Administration

After a death, the personal representative may be responsible for locating assets, notifying creditors, paying valid debts and expenses, maintaining records, and distributing property to beneficiaries.

Mihelich & Kavanaugh helps personal representatives understand these duties and move the estate through the probate process. The work may include determining which assets belong to the probate estate, arranging valuations, addressing real estate or business interests, and preparing for final distributions.

Families may need appraisals or other valuations for homes, vehicles, investments, jewelry, business ownership, or other property before the estate can be settled.

Trust Administration

A successor trustee steps into a position of significant responsibility. The trustee may need to identify trust assets, interpret distribution instructions, communicate with beneficiaries, manage property, pay expenses, and maintain accurate records.

The firm advises successor trustees on carrying out these responsibilities and administering the trust according to its terms. Legal guidance can be especially useful when the trust owns multiple types of property, beneficiaries have questions, or the trustee is uncertain about the order in which tasks should be completed.

Two Macomb County Offices

Mihelich & Kavanaugh meets with clients at offices in St. Clair Shores and Shelby Township, giving families access to estate and probate services in both southern and northern Macomb County. The firm works with clients from St. Clair Shores, Eastpointe, Clinton Township, Shelby Township, and nearby communities on matters ranging from advance planning to the administration of an estate or trust after a death.

Practice Areas

• Estate Planning

• Wills

• Pour-Over Wills

• Revocable Living Trusts

• Irrevocable Trusts

• Special Needs Trusts

• Trust Funding

• Powers of Attorney

• Healthcare Directives

• Guardianships

• Conservatorships

• Probate Administration

• Estate Administration

• Trust Administration

• Personal Representative Guidance

• Successor Trustee Guidance

• Probate-Avoidance Planning

• Asset Identification and Valuation