Scullen Law, Attorneys and Counselors

Estate Planning & Probate Attorneys in Troy, Michigan

Scullen Law is a Troy law firm whose practice is concentrated in estate planning, probate, taxation, business succession, and real estate. Founded by attorney Michael T. Scullen and later joined by attorney Sean Scullen, the firm focuses on helping individuals, families, and business owners prepare for the future while also guiding fiduciaries through the legal responsibilities that follow a death or incapacity.

Rather than limiting its work to drafting estate planning documents, the firm integrates tax planning, business succession, and probate administration into comprehensive strategies that reflect each client's family, financial, and business circumstances.

When Your Family Owns Property on Both Sides of the Border

Families with ties to both the United States and Canada often face planning issues that do not arise in a typical estate. A Michigan vacation home, investment property, or other U.S. assets can create questions involving probate and U.S. estate tax for Canadian residents.

Scullen Law has developed a distinctive practice representing Canadian clients who own property or assets in the United States. The firm advises clients on planning strategies intended to address cross-border probate concerns and potential U.S. estate tax issues while coordinating planning for families with connections to both countries.

Building an Estate Plan Around Your Family's Needs

No two families have the same priorities. Parents with young children may be focused on naming guardians, while others may be concerned about protecting assets, reducing future tax exposure, or preparing for incapacity.

Estate planning services include wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, financial powers of attorney, medical powers of attorney, and related planning documents. Each plan is developed after considering the client's assets, family circumstances, and long-term objectives rather than relying on a standard set of documents.

Passing a Family Business to the Next Generation

For business owners, an estate plan often extends beyond personal assets. Questions about future ownership, management responsibilities, and continuity can become just as important as the transfer of property.

The firm assists clients with business succession planning through strategies that may include buy-sell agreements, shareholder agreements, gifting strategies, and other planning techniques designed to help businesses transition to future owners while coordinating those decisions with the overall estate plan.

Helping Families Preserve Wealth Across Generations

Some estates require planning that addresses more than basic asset distribution. Tax considerations, asset protection, and long-term wealth preservation may all influence how an estate plan is structured.

Scullen Law advises clients regarding estate and gift tax planning, trust planning, and asset protection strategies that support multigenerational wealth transfer. The firm's background in taxation allows these issues to be considered as part of the overall planning process rather than after documents have already been prepared.

Guiding Personal Representatives and Trustees Through Probate

Administering an estate or trust involves numerous legal and financial responsibilities that many fiduciaries have never handled before.

The attorneys assist personal representatives and trustees with probate and trust administration, including court filings, inventories, accountings, tax returns, asset collection, creditor matters, and distributions. Guidance throughout the process helps fiduciaries understand both their legal obligations and the steps required to settle an estate.

When a Guardian or Conservator Needs Ongoing Guidance

Being appointed by the probate court is only the beginning of a guardian's or conservator's responsibilities. Court hearings, annual reports, financial accountings, and ongoing fiduciary duties may continue for years.

The firm represents guardians and conservators throughout these proceedings, helping them fulfill the reporting and administrative responsibilities required under Michigan law.

Planning for Clients With Multi-State Lives

Some clients own homes or spend significant time in more than one state. Estate planning can become more complicated when assets and family members are located in multiple jurisdictions.

Because Sean Scullen is licensed in both Michigan and Florida, the firm is able to assist clients whose planning involves legal considerations in both states, helping coordinate estate plans for families with property or connections beyond Michigan.

Serving Clients in Michigan and Beyond

Located in Troy, Scullen Law represents clients throughout Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne counties, while also assisting families with planning involving Florida and cross-border matters involving Ontario and the United States. Its practice combines estate planning, taxation, probate, and business succession planning to address legal issues that often extend beyond a single jurisdiction.

Practice Areas

• Estate Planning

• Wills

• Revocable Trusts

• Irrevocable Trusts

• Probate Administration

• Trust Administration

• Estate Tax Planning

• Gift Tax Planning

• Financial Powers of Attorney

• Medical Powers of Attorney

• Guardianships

• Conservatorships

• Business Succession Planning

• Buy-Sell Agreements

• Shareholder Agreements

• Asset Protection Planning

• Cross-Border Estate Planning (United States and Canada)

• Cross-Border Probate Planning

• Real Estate Planning