Stimpson & Associates

Estate Planning, Probate & Trust Administration in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Estate planning and probate often involve different needs at different stages. Someone creating a plan may need to decide how property should pass, who can handle financial matters during incapacity, or whether assets should remain in trust for children. After a death, a family member may instead find themselves responsible for administering an estate or trust without knowing what the role requires.

Stimpson & Associates, P.C. assists clients with estate planning, probate, trust administration, powers of attorney, guardianships, and conservatorships. The firm maintains offices in Ann Arbor and Tecumseh and provides estate and probate services throughout Washtenaw County and surrounding communities.

The firm's estate practice extends beyond document preparation. It advises personal representatives, trustees, beneficiaries, guardians, and conservators on the responsibilities and disputes that can arise when another person's property or affairs must be managed.

Choosing How Property Should Pass to the Next Generation

Stimpson & Associates prepares wills and trusts based on what clients want to accomplish with their property.

A will can establish who should receive probate assets after death and provide instructions for administering the estate. A trust can provide continuing management when property should not simply be distributed outright to a beneficiary.

The firm's materials specifically identify minor children as one situation in which continued management may be important. Parents may want assets preserved and administered for a child rather than transferred outright before the child is old enough to manage an inheritance independently.

Choosing between planning arrangements therefore involves more than deciding who should inherit. Families can also consider whether property should be distributed immediately or remain under the management of someone selected to carry out the terms of a trust.

Making Sure Someone Can Handle Financial Matters During Incapacity

A serious illness, accident, or decline in capacity can create legal problems before estate administration ever becomes relevant.

Stimpson & Associates prepares durable powers of attorney that allow clients to designate someone to handle financial matters on their behalf. Because the authority can continue when the individual becomes incapacitated, the document can provide a way for someone selected in advance to step in when assistance is needed.

This type of planning addresses a different problem from a will. A will provides instructions after death, while a durable power of attorney can establish authority during the person's lifetime.

Putting that authority in place while someone remains capable of choosing an agent can become particularly important if health later deteriorates and financial responsibilities still need attention.

When No Advance Plan Exists and a Loved One Needs Help

Sometimes a family does not have an effective power of attorney or other arrangement in place when a loved one becomes unable to manage independently.

Stimpson & Associates handles guardianship and conservatorship proceedings for families facing these circumstances. Guardianship generally concerns authority over personal matters, while a conservator can be appointed to manage property and finances.

The firm's work includes establishing guardianships and conservatorships as well as advising people who have already been appointed and need to understand what the role requires.

Stimpson also addresses alternatives to guardianship in its work involving individuals with special needs. This allows families to consider whether court-appointed authority is necessary and what form of assistance is appropriate to the person's circumstances rather than assuming every situation requires the same solution.

You've Been Named Personal Representative — What Comes Next?

Being appointed personal representative of an estate brings responsibilities that can extend well beyond distributing a deceased person's belongings.

Stimpson & Associates advises personal representatives through Michigan probate and estate administration. The firm's materials discuss identifying and inventorying estate assets, obtaining appraisals when necessary, dealing with debts and creditors, managing estate accounts and investments, addressing tax matters, communicating with beneficiaries, and ultimately transferring property.

These tasks may need to be completed while the personal representative is also dealing with the loss of a family member.

For someone who has never administered an estate, even determining what belongs to the estate and what needs to happen first can be unfamiliar. Stimpson assists personal representatives with the legal and administrative responsibilities involved in moving an estate from the initial probate proceedings toward distribution and completion.

When You Take Over Responsibility for a Trust

A successor trustee may face a similar learning curve.

Stimpson & Associates advises trustees on administering trusts after they become responsible for trust property. The firm's materials identify duties such as locating and identifying assets, obtaining appraisals, managing property, and making distributions according to the trust.

The trustee is responsible for carrying out another person's written instructions while managing property for beneficiaries. That can make the role substantially different from simply receiving an inheritance.

Trust administration may also continue for an extended period when the trust requires assets to remain managed rather than immediately distributed.

The firm's work with both estate and trust administration allows it to advise the people responsible for implementing a deceased person's plan whether authority comes through a probate appointment or a trust.

When You're a Beneficiary With Questions About an Estate

Stimpson & Associates also represents estate beneficiaries rather than working exclusively with the fiduciary administering the property.

A beneficiary may have questions about the probate process, the timing of administration, estate property, or the actions being taken by the personal representative.

The firm's dedicated work with beneficiaries recognizes that the person administering an estate and the people expecting to inherit from it occupy different roles.

This can become particularly important when communication breaks down or beneficiaries do not understand why property has not yet been distributed. Representation can help a beneficiary understand the estate process and the rights and responsibilities of the people involved without assuming that every question necessarily means the estate has become contested litigation.

Helping Guardians and Conservators Understand Their Responsibilities

Obtaining a guardianship or conservatorship order may be only the beginning of someone's responsibilities.

Stimpson & Associates advises people serving in these roles after appointment. A conservator entrusted with another person's property may need to manage finances and comply with court requirements, while a guardian assumes responsibility for personal matters within the authority granted by the court.

These responsibilities can arise when helping an aging parent, an adult with disabilities, or another person who cannot independently manage important affairs.

The firm's combination of advance estate planning and guardianship/conservatorship work means it assists families both when they are able to establish authority beforehand and when circumstances later require Probate Court involvement.

Estate and Probate Services Within a Broader Family Practice

Stimpson & Associates is not exclusively an estate-planning firm. Its practice also includes family law and related legal matters.

David Stimpson has practiced law for more than 20 years and holds an ICLE Certificate in Estate Planning as well as an ICLE Certificate in Family Law. The firm's estate work includes planning through wills, trusts, and powers of attorney as well as probate, trust administration, guardianships, conservatorships, and representation of estate beneficiaries.

This allows the practice to assist clients at several points in the process: creating an estate plan, establishing authority when someone becomes incapacitated, and addressing the responsibilities that arise after a death.

Serving Ann Arbor and Surrounding Communities

Stimpson & Associates maintains an Ann Arbor office at 230 Collingwood Drive, Suite 150 and provides estate planning and probate services throughout Washtenaw County.

Stimpson & Associates serves clients in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Saline, Dexter, Whitmore Lake, Chelsea, Tecumseh, and Adrian. The firm maintains offices in Ann Arbor and Tecumseh.

Practice Areas

• Estate Planning

• Wills

• Trusts

• Durable Powers of Attorney

• Probate

• Estate Administration

• Trust Administration

• Personal Representative Representation

• Trustee Representation

• Estate Beneficiary Representation

• Guardianships

• Conservatorships

• Special-Needs Legal Support