Pugh Moak

Estate Planning, Probate & Wealth Transfer Attorneys in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Pugh Moak P.C. is a Bloomfield Hills law firm with an unusually deep connection to estate and tax planning. The firm traces its beginnings to 1933, when Edgar W. Pugh Sr., one of the first Internal Revenue Service agents to leave the agency, established a tax-oriented appellate practice. His son, Edgar W. Pugh Jr., joined the firm in 1971 after working in both corporate real estate and bank trust administration. A third generation entered the practice in 1998 when Diana P. Moak joined the firm after beginning her career in litigation. Today, the firm concentrates on estate planning, special needs planning, tax planning, probate and trust administration, closely held businesses, and real estate matters.

Making Estate Planning Easier to Understand

Pugh Moak’s stated goal is to make estate planning simple and understandable. Rather than treating the process as a document package, the firm begins by identifying what each client wants to accomplish and which documents are actually appropriate for that person or family.

The firm describes estate planning in practical terms: taking action now so that family members and trusted friends can assist during incapacity and administer the estate more easily after death. Clients may be asked to complete a detailed wills and trusts checklist before the initial meeting so that the attorneys can review family relationships, assets, beneficiary concerns, business interests, fiduciary choices, and existing planning documents in advance.

This structured preparation supports a more productive conversation about the client’s actual circumstances. The objective is not merely to prepare legally valid documents, but to create a plan that expresses the client’s intentions and can be administered efficiently by the people left in charge.

Three Generations of Estate and Tax Experience

The firm’s history remains relevant to the work it performs today. Pugh Moak developed from a tax-focused practice and later incorporated experience involving bank trusts, corporate real estate, litigation, probate, and estate administration.

Diana Moak, the firm’s president, has practiced law since 1996 and concentrates on estate planning, special needs planning, probate, trust and estate administration, corporate formation and succession planning, and real estate. She holds the Accredited Estate Planner® designation from the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Financial and Estate Planning Council of Metro Detroit and is currently its vice chairman.

Her earlier litigation and mediation experience adds another dimension to the firm’s planning work. Moak served for more than ten years as a volunteer mediator and special education mediator, and she previously served as president of Friends of Different Learners. Although she no longer handles litigation, that background is particularly relevant when working with families facing sensitive planning decisions or issues involving beneficiaries with disabilities.

Attorney Nicholas “Nico” Goodenow represents a newer generation within the practice. He first worked at Pugh Moak as a law clerk, later gained experience in estate planning, probate, and related litigation at another firm, and then returned to continue developing his practice under Diana Moak’s mentorship. His background also includes work with the Elder Law Advocacy Center and pro bono probate matters obtained through Lakeshore Legal Aid.

Planning for Beneficiaries Who Need Protection

Special needs planning is one of the firm’s most significant areas of focus. Pugh Moak assists families who want to leave assets for a beneficiary without placing those assets directly in that person’s name.

In some cases, receiving an inheritance outright could interfere with government benefits. In others, the beneficiary may face addiction, creditor problems, incarceration, or another circumstance that makes direct ownership inappropriate. The beneficiary may also be an aging parent who could require Medicaid assistance in the future.

The firm helps clients evaluate planning structures designed to protect inherited assets and reduce the risk that an unintended transfer will disrupt benefits or expose the inheritance to creditors. This work can be especially important because an estate passing without a plan may distribute assets under Michigan intestacy law to relatives who should not receive property outright.

Estate and Tax Planning for Business Owners

Pugh Moak also works with closely held businesses, allowing business planning and personal estate planning to be addressed together.

The firm assists with the formation of corporations and limited liability companies, the preparation of bylaws and operating agreements, and the maintenance of corporate records. For existing companies, the attorneys can help owners determine how the business should pass at death and prepare buy-sell agreements addressing events such as an owner’s death, incapacity, or departure from the company. The firm also assists with the creation of nonprofit entities, including charitable organizations and private foundations.

This business experience is particularly relevant for clients whose company represents a substantial part of their net worth. Ownership documents, succession provisions, beneficiary designations, and estate planning instruments must work together if the transition is to occur as intended.

The firm also advises clients about estate tax exposure and planning opportunities. Although many estates fall below current federal estate tax thresholds, tax laws and exemption levels can change. Pugh Moak discusses strategies that may include charitable gifts and the filing of an estate tax return after the first spouse’s death to preserve the deceased spouse’s unused exemption.

A Flexible Approach to Probate and Trust Administration

After a death, Pugh Moak assists personal representatives and trustees with the practical work of administering estates and trusts. The firm’s approach is flexible: some clients need an initial meeting and a roadmap, while others want the attorneys to take a more active role communicating with beneficiaries and creditors.

The firm may guide fiduciaries through real estate sales, partial distributions, accountings, tax filings, and other administration responsibilities. It can also remind clients when additional steps are due and explain what information must be included in an accounting.

Pugh Moak is also direct about the limits of this practice. The firm does not handle contested probate or trust litigation. Its focus is on careful administration, legal compliance, and helping fiduciaries complete their duties rather than representing parties in beneficiary lawsuits.

A Bloomfield Hills Firm Serving Metro Detroit Families

Pugh Moak is located on West Long Lake Road in Bloomfield Hills. Its attorneys work with individuals, families, fiduciaries, and business owners throughout the Metro Detroit area. The firm’s accessible second-floor office includes nearby handicap parking and an entrance close to the suite.

With roots spanning three generations, the firm combines longstanding estate and tax experience with a practical planning philosophy: understand the client’s family, assets, and concerns; make the legal issues easier to follow; and prepare a plan that will also be manageable for the people responsible for carrying it out.

Practice Areas

• Estate Planning

• Wills and Trusts

• Special Needs Planning

• Tax Planning

• Probate Administration

• Trust Administration

• Business Formation

• Business Succession Planning

• Buy-Sell Agreements

• Nonprofit and Charitable Organizations

• Real Estate